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jftoe  Cfjou&mo  jfliles  &rounb 
tije  g>outf)em  Cross 


A  POPULAR  REVIEW  OF  LIFE  AND  CUSTOMS  IN 

Cuba,  Jamaica,  Colombia,  Cosita  &ica,  Jllexico 
ant  Ancient  Yucatan 

WITH  A  SURVEY  OF 

THE  GREAT  PANAMA  CANAL 


Farewell,  Monsieur  Traveler,  look  you  lisp  and  wear  strange 
suits,  disable  all  the  'benefits  of  your  country,  be  out  of  love 
with  your  nativity,  and  almost  chide  God  for  making  you  that 
countenance  you  are,  or  I  will  scarce  think  you  have  swam  in  a 
gondola." — Shakespeare. 


Copyright,  1912,  by 

©Htlliam  £>imon  Eong 

Jfelioto  Snuruan  &eograpbic  £a>ocictt> 


The  Long  Photographic  Art  Studios 
631   MarKet  Street,  Camden,  New  Jersey 


HlllllllllllllllllllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Illlli llllll!lllllllllllllllllllllllllll«Hlllljllllllllllllllllllllllil»ni[lilllll»l!!IIIIMIH 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 


g  jforetoort) 

The  opinion  seems  to  prevail  in  many  quarters  that  our  neigh- 
bors below  our  Southern  borders  do  not  possess  those  attributes 
commonly  associated  with  a  high  degree  of  civilization ;  in  fact, 
there  are  to  be  found  those  who  profess  to  believe  that  our  friends 
still  dwell  in  a  condition  of  ignorance,  superstition  and  industrial 
lethargy.  As  all  travelers  know,  these  impressions  are  erroneous 
and  not  in  keeping  with  the  actual  conditions  prevailing  in  the 
lands  illumined  by  the  glowing  beacon  of  the  Southern  Cross.  Nor 
can  a  misconception  of  this  nature  be  conducive  to  the  well-being 
of  the  great  populations  of  the  Three  Americas.  The  Panama 
Canal — costing  us  hundreds  of  millions  of  money,  together  with 
an  enormous  outlay  of  energy  and  genius — should  be  the  means 
of  drawing  this  entire  Western  Hemisphere  into  closer  bonds  of 
commercial  and  social  intercourse.  Our  neighbors  have  their  faults, 
for  none  of  us  are  perfect ;  but  they  are  of  kindly  heart,  and  they 
regret  that  their  brothers  of  the  United  States  do  not  understand 
them  as  they  deserve  to  be  understood. 

We  Americans  of  the  North  are  a  broadminded,  liberal-spirited 
people,  and  we  should  lose  no  time  in  extending  to  the  Americans 
of  the  South  a  warm  and  hearty  handclasp  of  friendship.  Let  us 
not  forget  that  they  number  nearly  one  hundred  millions  strong, 
and  they  and  their  respective  countries  are  rapidly  forging  to  the 
front  ranks  of  modern  nations. 

The  opening  of  the  Panama  should  be  a  day  of  rejoicing  for 

the  peoples  of  the  Three  Americas. 

The  Author. 


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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 

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itabana  from  tfjc  $£ap 

The  up-to-date  skyscraper  is    a    very    modern   innovation  in   the 

Crescent   Isle. 


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|  FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 

^■miiiiiijiimfimmmimiiiiiiiiHuiiiiiiii»ni»iiiMuuiiiHNiiiiiiiiiiii[iiiririiniJiiiii]iiiJitm 


Stye  J$an  OTJjo  Btb 

rfStf  VAST  ARRAY  of  illustrious  names  emblazons  the  escutcheon 
S^%-  of  the  Roman  peninsula,  and  there  can  be  no  question  that 
long  after  the  division  and  subdivision  of  every  nation  now 
extant,  in  the  distant  cycle  that  has  yet  to  pierce  the  horizon  of 
to-morrow,  these  characters  shall  still  invest  the  seat  of  learning, 
the  hall  of  legislation,  the  harbor  and  the  mart  of  commerce. 
Standing  out  in  high  relief,  a  giant  amidst  a  lilliputian  band,  there 
shall  be  found  a  Titan  of  colossal  size,  one  whose  intrepidity  gave 
to  the  world  a  might}-  continent  destined  to  change  the  routes  of 
all  the  seas,  the  chronologies  and  conditions  of  every  race  beneath 
the  cerulescent  dome  on  high — Cristoforo  Colombo,  Commodore 
Captain  of  the  Spanish  Main. 

Born  in  Genoa,  Italy,  in  1447,  the  great  navigator  as  a  boy 
worked  under  his  father,  a  wool-comber.  Having  a  fondness  for 
the  sea,  at  an  early  age  he  embarked  on  various  ships  trading 
up  the  Mediterranean.  He  studied  astronomy  and  became  imbued 
with  the  belief  that  Oriental  lands  could  be  reached  by  sailing  due 
west  from  Spain  and  continuing  around  the  globe  until  the  goal  was 
consummated.  As  is  well  known,  the  popular  notion  prevailed 
that  the  earth  was  flat,  and  the  project  formulated  by  the  Genoese 
was  regarded  as  foolhardy  and  insane.  Possessing  but  little  material 
wealth,  he  sought  the  aid  of  various  kings  and  princes;  but  these 
knowing  men  curled  their  aristocratic  lips  in  derision  born  of  genius 
of  a  transcendental  order.  Finally  a  Spanish  clergyman,  Father 
Marchena,  closely  identified  with  the  Royal  Family,  pleaded  in 
behalf  of  Columbus.  After  years  of  consultation  and  deliberation, 
Queen  Isabella,  one  of  the  most  intellectual  women  of  her  time, 
raised  the  funds  to  defray  the  expenses  of  equipping  a  small  vessel, 
the  Santa  Maria,  and  two  caravels,  the  Pinta  and  Nina,  all  of  which 
were  about  thrice  the  length  of  a  modern  lifeboat,  the  entire  crew 
numbering  120  seamen.  The  squadron  left  Palos,  Spain,  on  Friday, 
August  3,  1492,  sailing  in  a  southwesterly  direction ;  but  no  land 
loomed  to  view  up  to  September  13, when  a  variation  of  the  magnetic 
needle  was  observed.  This  circumstance  struck  terror  into  the 
hearts  of  the  sailors,  and  there  were  not  lacking  the  usual  jealous 
leaders,  who  went  among  the  crew  sowing  seeds  of  rebellion,  assert- 
ing that  Columbus  was  a  phantom-chaser  in  his  madcap  desire  to 
round  the  so-called  globe.  Mutiny  developed,  and  the  captains  of 
the  other  caravels  signaled  for  a  conference,  which  was  generously 
granted.  They  demanded  an  immediate  return  to  Spain.  The 
great  mariner,  backed  by  the  Padre  Marchena,  appealed  to  their 


li!!i!!!I!!!!!!i!!INI!!III!IIH!l!!!!!!!i!I 


jplllllllllllllll '  .                                             '                                                      I  1 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        2  | 

pin    mini  '  '  ■"  miij 

patriotism  as  Spaniards,  at  the  same  time  letting  it  be  understood  j§ 

I                                    that  the  "suggestions"  of  the  Admiral  of  the  Fleet  were  commands  B 
not  to  be  lightly  impugned  on  the  high  seas.     So  they  decided  to 

peacefully  follow  in  the  wake  of  the  Santa  Maria.  Land  was  I 
sighted  on  Friday,  October  12 — the  Island  of  San  Salvador,  one  B 
of  the  Bahama  group.  Columbus  made  four  voyages  to  the  Indies 
B  and  Mexico,  passing  away  at  Valladolid,  Spain,  in  1506;  thirty  1 
years  later  his  body  was  conveyed  to  Santo  Domingo,  where  it  re- 
mained until  1796,  to  be  transferred  to  the  Cathedral  in  Havana,  J 
and  was  once  again  removed  to  its  last  resting  place  in  Old  Granada  B 
jj                                      twenty  years  ago. 

1                                          Our  three-months'  itinerary  embraced  five  thousand  miles  around  1 

1                                      and  about  the  most  interesting  and  instructive  countries  beneath  ■ 

1                                      the  widespreading  gleam  of  the  glowing  Southern  Cross — through  jj 
{§                                      the  Crescent  Isle ;  over  the  hills  and  vales  of  fair  Jamaica ;  up  the 

Magdalena  to   the  tip-top   of   South  America ;   along  the   severed  jf 

waist  of  the  universe — the  Panama  Canal ;  across  the  peaks  of  Costa  1 

Rica ;   up  and   down  the  aerial  monarchs   of   enchanting   Mexico ;  1 

(                                     amidst  the  ruins  of  Ancient  Yucatan.  {§ 

I  IX   THE  WAKE  OF  COLUMBUS. 

1                                                To  tempt  the  perils  of  an  unknown  ocean  1 

p                                                  When  Christopher  Columbus  first  set  out,  B 

B                                                  Deeming  his  life  would  pay  for  his  devotion,  jj 
1                                                Men  must  have  marveled  at  a  heart  so  stout. 

B                                                  O'er  shoreless  seas  he  sailed,   hope  still  preserving,  | 

B                                                  Despite  the  mutiny  among  his  crezc —  B 

He  held  his  course,  and  proved  his  faith  unsiverving  B 

B                                                  In  what  his  heart  assured  him  must  be  true.  B 

His  steadfastness  inspired  the  weaker  brothers,  B 
1                                               Aroused  the  dull,  the  cowards  put  to  shame; 

And  his  reivard?  A  continent  for  others,  B 

B                                               And  for  himself  a  little  breath  of  fame.  B 

B                                               Of  all  achievements  his  is  an  example  B 

jj                                               The  path  of  knowledge  is  with  dangers  strown —  jj 

B                                                  Yet  he  who  feels  true  values,  finds  it  ample  j§ 

B                                                To  strive  for  truth  for  wisdom's  sake  alone.  jj 

Still  unknown  worlds  are  lying  all  around  us,  1 

B                                                  Waiting,  aye,  waiting,  for  the  pioneer —  jj 

B                                                  Still  trackless  seas  of  deepest  ignorance  bound  us,  B 

1                                                  And  still  'mid  dangers  unforeseen  zve  steer.  B 

B                                               Then  from  Columbus  let  us  learn  assurance  B 

J                                                  To  follow  steadfastly  faith's  guiding  star;  m 

B                                                 Expecting  no  reivard  for  our  endurance  B 

B                                                  Beyond  the  truth  that  glimmers  from  afar.  jj 

W                                                                                                                                                          — Morewood.  = 


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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        3 

iiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiii'iHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin 


Wqz  Crescent  Me 


In  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  day  the  binoculars  discerned  the 
outlines  of  the  Cuban  coast,  and  the  following  morning  all  hands 
were  up  at  sunrise  to  view  the  passage  of  the  narrow  strait  con- 
necting the  placid  waters  of  Havana  Bay  with  the  vast  and  buoyant 
Gulf  of  Mexico.  To  the  left  we  beheld  the  giant  lighthouse  whose 
glowing  beacon  has  flashed  forth  its  warning  message  to  generations 
of  storm-tossed  mariners ;  to  the  rear  the  grim  walls  of  Monro 
Castle  rose  in  sombre  impotence,  for  the  citadel  has  played  its  part 
and  now  peacefully  wings  across  the  deep  the  mystic  symbols  to 
those  afloat.  The  harbor  is  a  commodious  basin,  but  until  recently 
was  so  shallow  that  the  larger  vessels  anchored  in  midstream  to  load 
and  unload  their  cargoes.  This  reproach  has  been  partly  removed, 
and  immense  improvements  along  the  docks  will  enable  the  deepest 
ships  to  cast  their  hawsers  to  modern  piers.  Havana  of  to-day 
bears  but  slight  resemblance  to  the  city  of  years  gone  by.  Able 
American  engineers  have  transformed  the  ancient  capital  into  a 
place  of  health  and  beauty,  and  the  residents  now  boast  a  driveway 
and  promenade  that  has  no  superior,  the  magnificent  Malecon,  sig- 
nifying a  seawall,  which  extends  for  miles  along  the  curving  shore 
of  the  Mexican  Gulf.  On  Sunday  afternoon  all  whose  cognomen 
shine  with  lustrous  glare  on  the  pages  of  "Who's  Who  in  Cuban 
Swelldom" — and  perhaps  several  whose  nom  de  guerre  illumine  the 
pages  of  "Who's  Who  in  Cuban  Jaildom" — drive  up  and  down 
and  then  around  Malecon  and  Prado  in  countless  carriages,  auto- 
mobiles and  equipages  of  every  make  and  vintage.  It  is  a  moving 
panorama  worth  rounding  the  globe  to  view.  Visitors  seem  trans- 
ported to  a  miniature  Boulevard  des  Italiens  as  they  note  the 
carefree  throngs  that  eat,  drink  and  make  merry  in  the  brilliant 
cafes  and  places  of  amusement  along  the  broad  and  handsome  Prado 
when  the  shades  of  eventide  have  been  drawn  across  the  "Paris 
of  the  Indies."  Streets  in  the  old  section  are  exceedingly  narrow 
(twenty-six  feet  from  wall  to  wall),  steps  of  the  trolleys  reaching 
over  the  seven-foot  sidewalks  in  the  Calle  San  Luis  Obispo,  the 
Calle  O'Reilly  and  other  thoroughfares  catering  to  the  wants  of 
American  travelers.  The  Cathedral  is  a  great  point  of  interest,  and 
it  is  sad  to  relate  that  the  edifice  requires  a  complete  renovation 
within  and  without  its  sacred  walls.  The  metropolis  contains  several 
modern  office  buildings,  which  appear  like  skyscrapers  from  the 
alleyways  below,  and  the  mansions  of  the  wealthy,  especially  along 


l!lllillll!!!lll!I!!i;!:fflllllllll!!!l!!!l!!llii!ll!iiXIlllllil I  illlllllllliilllllllllHIIIIIIIIIII 11! II inillllliaillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliailll1:::  lllilllllllllili 


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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        4 
iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiih^ 


the  Malecon,  are  homes  of  splendor.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
one-story  dwellings  of  the  working  classes  are  devoid  of  orna- 
mentation, the  iron-barred  windows  giving  them  the  appearance 
of  penal  institutions.  The  national  breakfast  is  very  light,  con- 
sisting merely  of  coffee  and  rolls ;  and  it  dissipates  an  erroneous 
impression  by  stating  that  smoking  is  strictly  confined  to  men  and 
the  lower  grades  of  women.  It  may  be  of  interest  to  know  that 
the  first  railroad  bed  was  laid  down  here  as  early  as  1834,  the 
tracks  now  traversing  2,200  miles  through  the  various  Provinces, 
the  Havana  Central  being  driven  by  electricity;  an  old-fashioned 
railway  station  has  been  supplanted  by  a  beautiful  terminal  that 
would  be  an  ornament  to  any  municipality.  A  three-hour  siesta 
at  midday  was  the  accepted  routine  until  the  stranger  from  foreign 
climes  decided  that  such  sinful  and  criminal  waste  should  be  changed 
to  the  rapid-fire  American  system  of  eat-it-while-you-run. 

The  natives  as  a  class  cannot  be  called  homogeneous,  the  blood 
coursing  through  their  veins  being  an  admixture  of  Negro  and 
Spanish,  although  there  are  many  full-bloods  of  both  races:-  Spanish 
merchants  are  in  control  of  the  trade  of  the  city,  and  American 
residents  are  numerous  enough  to  support  two  daily  newspapers. 
Tourists  coming  hither  for  the  benefit  of  their  health  should  try 
and  remember  that  the  hotelkeepers  of  Havana  are  not  in  business 
for  their  health;  indeed  the  rates  at  one  hotel  are  not  less  than 
$25  per  day  for  a  suite  of  rooms,  which  of  course  means  that  the 
literati  don't  always  overcrowd  this  most  exclusive  caravansary. 
The  population  has  grown  since  the  occupation  of  the  town  in  1519 
to  some  300,000  souls  to-day  and  that  of  the  island  to  2,100,000, 
with  an  area  of  45,000  square  miles,  or  somewhat  smaller  than 
England.  If  you  are  a  mathematician  of  high  grade,  you  can  readily 
understand  that  four  billion  pounds  of  sugar  is  not  at  all  bad  for 
a  year's  production,  and  the  cigars  and  cigarettes  turned  out  every 
twelve  months  are  so  numerous  that  they  give  employment  to  thou- 
sands of  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls.  A  good  cigar  may  be 
had  for  five  cents.  Street  car  service  could  be  worse  and  cabs  will 
take  you  anywhere  within  the  city  limits  for  twenty  cents  per  ride. 
Havana  has  its  plaza  and  fine  municipal  band,  but  for  some  unknown 
reason  it  is  lacking  in  the  principal  institution  of  a  Spanish-American 
city,  a  national  opera  house.  However,  in  order  to  make  amends 
for  this  most  lamentable  dereliction,  the  Government  has  under 
way  the  construction  of  a  magnificent  building  wherein  to  conduct 
the  affairs  of  state. 


HIIIIIIIIMMIIIIIIIIIIMMMMIMIMIIIIII ■IIIIIIIIMMM I UMIIMIil 1311 Ml Mil Ill) Ill Ill MillMIMIMM IIIMMIMM lUIIMIIIIIIIIIII: IIIIIMIIIIillM Mllll IIIIIMIII I Hill IIIIBIIIIIIIH 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        ?  | 

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii  iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiy 

BACK  TO  THE  DAYS  OF  YORE. 

Within  twenty  miles  of  Central  Park  (the  principal  plaza)  there 
may  be  seen  a  life  as  primitive  as  history  records,  with  the  exception 
that  the  adult  aborigines  of  the  more  refined  and  cultured  brand 

deem  a  garment  of  some  kind  necessary  to  protect  their  brunette  1 

complexions  from  the  heat,  while  the  rising  generation  of  sefiors 
and  senoras  are  perfectly  satisfied  to  wear  a  most  congenial  smile. 

Huts  are  built  of  stout  pine  branches,  the  sides  covered  with  cocoa-  J 

nut  leaves  and  the  roof  of  thatch;  an  iron-barred  aperture  acts  as 
a  window  and  the  ancient  sod  as  a  floor.  U 

Sixty  miles  away  lies  a  characteristic  Cuban  city — Matanzas — and 
here  we  spent  two  days  visiting  the  places  of  interest,  particularly 
the  famous  Caves  of  Bellamar,  which  plunge  beneath  the  earth  for 

miles  in  the  form  of  a  serpent  en  tour.   No  visible  sign  without  tells  1 

the  sightseer  he  is  near  the  subterranean  pits,  until  a  dark-tanned 
functionary  approaches  from  the  confines  of  a  modest  little  house 

built  in  the  side  of  a  granite  rock.    We  now  descend  a  broad  stair-  1 

way  leading  to  the  depths.  Down  and  down  we  go,  and  finally 
arrive  in  an  immense  hall  some  sixty  feet  below  the  surface.    They 

call  this  room  the  Gothic  Temple ;  it  is  about  250  feet  long  and  j 

nearly  100  feet  wide.    Countless  electric  bulbs  flash  their  glare  upon  jj 

myriads   of   stalactic   cones,   producing  an   effect   similar  to   those  {§ 

entrancing  fairy  tableaux  common  to  the    Christmas    pantomime  j§ 

known  as  "Gladys  in  Empyrean  Glens."  All  kinds  of  yarns  are 
spun  for  the  benefit  of  the  gullible  tourist — such,  for  instance,  that 
the  redoubtable  Cap'n  Bill  Kidd  and  the  rest  of  his  piratical  chums 
used  the  caves  as  headquarters   for  the  murdering  of   foreigners 

out  for  a  sail  on  the  Spanish  Main.     Of  course,  such  things  could  ( 

be  true,  but  there  is  not  the  slightest  sign  of  gore  in  these  sub- 
terrestrial  retreats.    Scenery  around  the  country  should  please  the  1 
most   pessimistic   individual,    for    rolling   hills    and   tropical    vales, 
grand  mansions  and  humble  huts  are  to  be  seen  to  right  and  left. 

ROLLING  ON  TO  SANTIAGO.  § 

Santiago  lies  530  miles  east  of  the  capital,  and  twenty-four  hours 
are  consumed  in  spanning  verdant  plains  and  charming  dales  that 
present  at  every  turn  prospects  well  calculated  to  enrapture  a  poet's 

soul.     To  the  right  we  view  a  valley  of  saccharine  and  at  the  left  1 

a  gentle  southern  zephyr  sways  a  rich  field  of  embryonic  "weeds"  j{ 

whose  fragrance  is  known  in  every  land.    At  periods  here  and  there  I 

along  the  "ferrocarril"  the  tourist  beholds  the  magnificent  domicile 


■ii:!i|i:i:!llllllllili::!''ii'ii: 


IpllllllllllllllllllflllilillM 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 

liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiira 


3n  #lb  Habana  tEoton 

Morro  Castle  from  the  Prado  Bandstand — Central  Square,  Havana. 


illi[ll!llll!llllll!l!llllll!l!!!!i!«!llilil!lllilllllll!!!!l!!ll!ilil!i«lllllllllllilW 


pillllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIIBIilllillllllllH 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        6 

irJinimiSnnilinJiiinrfnIliilJMIMli'JiSs.:.!;,;-.::!  ■.::!:!!--  :  ;:■  :,;:■:■:;  ■  -  ■:  i-iMMillMi^  i  ■ .  :::Jli!iiM::::'     .- :: --iiilMilMIM: .- :  - : !  i !  I ! !  i  I  i  I ! ! : !  1 1 1 1  i !  1 1 1 1 : ! :;?.  i :  i illlliii::!  i  i ! : ! !  1 1 1 !  1 1 1 1 1  i  1 1 ; ; !:- 1 1 1 MM1 


of  a  rich  planter  who  rules  all  his  far-reaching  eye  surveys,  and 
at  other  periods  there  may  be  seen  a  bevy  of  future  voters  and 
suffragettes  enjoying  the  diurnal  hours  romping  around  in  the 
ancient  and  comfortable  garb  of  the  fabled  Psyche. 

The  tourist  who  stops  over  at  Santa  Clara  for  a  day  will  never 
regret  the  time  spent  in  this  ancient  yet  modern  inland  city.  It  is 
a  centre  of  the  great  tobacco  plantations  that  have  brought  so  much 
wealth  to  the  island,  and  is  undoubtedly  an  agreeable  spot  wherein 
to  enjoy  for  a  day  or  so  many  mediaeval  scenes  and  characteristics 
not  to  be  found  except  far  away  from  the  beaten  path  of  the 
average  traveler.  The  accompanying  photograph  gives  a  clear  illus- 
tration of  how  they  grow  the  finer  grades  of  tobacco  in  these  up- 
to-date  days  of  inventive  genius.  The  upper  photo  pictures  the 
tobacco  securely  protected  from  the  heavy  rains  and  likewise 
guarded  from  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun  by  stretching  great  rolls 
of  cheesecloth  in  the  form  of  a  canopy  ten  feet  high  above  the  most 
valuable  of  all  "weeds." 

Large  sugar  mills  of  modern  make  are  numerous  and  interesting. 
When  old  Sol  has  done  his  share  in  the  way  of  making  the  pioneers 
rich,  the  latter  put  on  their  Sunday  clothes  and  stroll  around  the 
Plaza,  listening  to  the  poetic  strains  of  some  good  old  song  their 
grandpas  and  grandmas  found  so  inspiriting  away  back  yonder 
amidst  the  romantic  hills  of  Andalusia. 

Search  within. 
Without,   all  is   echantment.    'Tis  the  past 
Contending  with  the  present;  and,  in  turn, 
Each  has  the  mastery. 

—Rogers. 

Santiago  contains  50,000  inhabitants,  and  they  all  seem  to  have 
unraveled  the  perplexing  problem  of  how  to  live  and  be  happy 
though  out  of  work.  The  pageant  city  is  walled  in  by  surrounding 
mountains,  even  to  the  embattled  entrance  of  its  harbor.  From  a 
lofty  peak  the  fantastically  colored  streets  and  red-tiled  roofs  tell 
us  we  are  in  the  land  of  the  Spaniard.  It  was  here  that  the  fifty- 
three  men  of  the  "Virginius"  were  shot  in  1873 ;  and  of  course 
everybody  has  read  of  that  dauntless  charge  up  the  heights  of  the 
San  Juan.  The  incline  is  now  used  as  a  military  reservation.  To 
leave  Cuba  without  a  memory  of  its  mountains  is  like  leaving  a 
play  by  the  well-known  Bard  of  Avon  after  the  prologue.  Sierra 
Maestra  peaks  rise  sharply  from  the  Caribbean  and  tumultuouslv 
toss  their  brows  a  mile  and  a  half  above  the  never-ceasing  roll 
of  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 


1II!I!II!I!I!I1!!IIMI1IIIIIIIII!!!UIIIII!I!!II^ 


3  mill niiiiiiiiii in  mi iiini i iiiiiimi iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim         ig 

|  FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        -  | 


The  prevalent  impression  that  Cuba  is  so  unbearably  hot  that 
white  men  cannot  withstand  the  terrific  rays  of  the  sun  is  all  a 
sad  mistake,  inasmuch  as  the  cooling'  breezes  floating  perennially 
across  the  island  go  far  to  tempering  the  tropical  heat.  Nature  has 
been  most  generous  to  the  Pearl  of  the  Antilles,  for  three  crops 
of  table  produce  are  usually  secured. 


©n  to  Jf  air  Jamaica 

The  periodic  flash  of  the  warning  lens  paled  and  dimmed  as  the 
Wades  warmed  to  the  task  of  sighting  Montego  Bay  ere  the  efful- 
gent orb  gilded  the  eastern  sky.  There  is  a  vast  difference  between 
Jamaica  and  Cuba,  everything  bespeaking  the  rule  and  customs  of 
the  English  nation ;  even  the  Negroes,  who  comprise  over  ninety  per 
cent,  of  the  population,  use  a  dialect  germane  to  backwoods  Georgia 
and  that  of  Trafalgar  Square.  The  island  is  nearly  150  miles  in 
length  and  $5  in  width.  Things  were  not  always  as  orderly  as 
we  find  them  to-day:  the  Spaniards  raised  their  ensign  in  1509. 
to  be  supplanted  by  the  Union  Jack  in  1670,  when  Oliver  Cromwell 
dispatched  a  fleet  to  this  section  for  the  purpose  of  exploitation. 
That  noblest  of  all  pirates.  Sir  Henry  Morgan,  and  his  fellow- 
buccaneers  made  the  island  their  rendezvous  while  scouring  the 
trade  routes  for  game.  Over  two  hundred  years  ago  a  tidal  wave 
swept  high  above  Port  Royal  and  sent  it  far  below  the  surface  of 
the  sea.  Seventeen  million  bunches  of  bananas  make  a  pretty  tidy 
crop  for  a  year's  work,  and  they  keep  many  ships  moving  in  and 
out  of  many  harbors.  Cocoanuts  to  the  number  of  21,000,000  and 
50.000.000  oranges  are  annually  sent  to  northern  lands.  Years  ago 
rats  devastated  the  sugar  region  to  such  a  degree  that  the  mongoose, 
a  small  animal  of  the  rat  species,  was  imported  to  destroy  the 
rodents.  It  did  most  valiant  work,  but  multiplied  so  enormously 
that  the  authorities  are  now  at  their  wits"  end  looking  for  something 
to  destroy  the  mongoose.  An  English  garrison  is  located  up  in 
the  cool  of  the  mountains,  while  the  native  Tommy  Atkinses  have 
headquarters  near  the  capital.  His  Lordship  the  Governor  General 
also  dwells  in  regal  style  at  King's  House,  five  miles  beyond  the 
metropolitan  limits,  the  beautiful  gardens  presenting  even-  variety 
of  flora  known  to  the  region.  Vegetation  is  tropical,  sub-tropical 
and  temperate,  making  it  possible  to  dine  on  rhubarb  and  celery, 
asparagus  and  cauliflower,  strawberries  and  cranberries  each  and 


:;;;ii!ii|!l!i;ii:iTii;rwi:s!:iii!iiiii[!iii]i:'!(iiiii!i:!:u;i|ij:!!!i.iJii:iii!ii!!!i:;i  ■iiiiiiiiiiiiiiS 


pilllllllllllllllll! [lllllll!l!!!!l!!ll!l iliiifflilliiiUIIIIIIIIIIIII^ Illlllilll!llllllllli!lllllllllll!!l!i!lllllllllllllllllllll!l!llllll^ 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS  | 

Illlllllllllllll  '  : ':    i;,:' ' : .      : : :  i^:^ I .- ::  m  .[l!l!l ':..  h;:;lllllll!Jlt!lll!JU!IIMIilllllllll!lliIl{!itillM!MMII!IIIJliS[;;[li;iiill '    :: '. Mill. 


Santiago  Hag  Hs>ome  (©tteer  Streets; 

Santiago  de  Cuba  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlements  on  the  island, 
but  long  ago  conceded  metropolitan  honors  to  Havana. 


pillllllllllllllllIlllillllllilllllllllllllllillillllllllllllllllM 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        8 

liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ 


every  day  of  the  year.  Heart  disease  is  not  a  characteristic  ailment 
of  the  aborigines;  indeed,  they  take  pains  not  to  allow  anything 
to  irritate  their  equanimity — not  even  toil ;  for  as  soon  as  they 
acquire  a  few  shillings  they  require  a  vacation  long  enough  to 
properly  disburse  it  all. 

Montego  Bay  is  perhaps  the  most  archaic  spot  on  the  island. 
It  is  a  fair-sized  town  of  10,000  people,  and  the  quaintness  of  the 
place  is  greatly  embellished  by  the  picturesque  habitations  of  the 
early  Spanish  settlers.  Women  display  far  more  animation  than 
men,  driving  carts,  wheeling  barrows,  hawking  long  ropes  of  tobacco 
and  smoking  big  black  cigars  with  the  sang  froid  of  a  veteran.  The 
railway  ride  to  Kingston,  140  miles  distant,  is  a  fascinating  cyclo- 
raraa  of  tropical  enchantment  as  it  zigzags  up  and  around  the  heights 
of  the  Blue  Mountains,  whose  tallest  pinnacle  pierces  the  velvet 
firmament  of  heaven  7,500  feet  above  the  shore.  In  the  ascent 
across  the  undulating  hills  and  elevated  tablelands,  foaming  cascades 
and  canyons  of  profound  depths  the  sunlit  air  begins  to  cool,  light 
overcoats  and  wraps  being  finally  brought  into  requisition.  It  has 
been  said  that  Columbus,  after  traversing  this  tropical  land  in  1494, 
pronounced  it  an  "island  paradise ;"  and  it  has  good  reasons  for 
being  proud  of  the  title,  as  the  gorgeous  landscapes  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  equal,  and  the  temperature  is  never  excessive,  due  to  lively 
breezes  common  to  the  Caribbean  Sea.  The  Government  deserves 
much  praise  for  its  work  in  road  building;  one  of  these  fine  high- 
ways runs  all  around  both  coasts  and  is  intersected  by  others  at 
various  points. 

This  region,  surely,  is  not  of  earth. 
Was  it  not  dropt  from  heaven!  Not  a  grove, 
Citron,  or  pine,  or  cedar,  not  a  grot, 
Sea-worn  and  mantled  with,  a  gadding  vine, 
But  breathes  enchantment! 

— Rogers. 

Hotels  of  grandeur  dot  the  little  isle,  with  beautiful  lawns  running 
down  to  the  rolling  sea.  These  hostelries  are  mainly  supported  by 
high-toned,  opulent  Americans  who  follow  the  trail  of  the  departing 
orb  and  bathe  in  summer  seas  when  some  other  folks  are  following 
the  trail  along  the  frozen  path.  Port  Antonio,  on  the  northern 
coast,  is  the  centre  of  the  banana  trade.  The  town  is  ideally 
situated,  and  contains  many  "hotels"  and  at  least  one  that  is  a 
real  inn  of  great  attraction.  Much  rivalry  exists  between  "Antone" 
and  the  other  watering  places,  all  of  which  claim  to  possess  merits 
far  outshining  their  alleged  competitors. 


I!lllllllll!!!!l!l!ll!li!i;!l!l!l!l!!l!llllll!i!llll!iliffl 


piilillllllliii  III ■-::■'■■  ■■■     :■    !: .  ■■-!''!iM;!;!IH!!!lJ!i|:N|];il;--i,JI'="!t;ili|,Jilhi1!!l]!il 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        9 

illlllllllllll Illl  I1II!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!IIIIIII!!I!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllll  '  ll!l!l!!l!l!ll!llllllllll Illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ililllil Blllfflilllll : |||||||||||||||||| 


Pause  a  moment,  gentle  reader,  for  we  have  covered  considerable 
territory  in  the  past  fifteen  minutes,  and  let  us  level  a  thrust  at 
the  most  putrescent  cynic  crawling  on  the  Great  Monarch's  foot- 
stool. We  allude  to  that  miserable  iconoclast  who  spends  his  life 
in  satirizing  the  marriage  bond.  It's  all  a  failure,  he  says.  All 
marriages  are  failures — yes,  from  the  standpoint  of  this  disappointed 
purveyor  of  billingsgate.  But  he  fails  to  state  that  his  enmity  to- 
wards the  enticing  daughters  of  Eve  has  been  engendered  by  the 
frozen  glare  from  the  frosty  eye  of  a  faultless  but  frigid  female. 
Marriage  is  a  success — a  howling  success  in  cases  entirely  too 
numerous  to  mention.  There's  own  friend  Dunbar,  for  instance. 
Uncle  Philip  is  now  105  years  of  age,  and  was  building  bungalows 
around  Lower  St.  Andrew  just  about  the  time  General  Washington 
was  ascending  the  golden  staircase.  His  four  helpmates  have 
helped  him  to  do  his  centenary  marathon  in  clipper  time  and  form. 
Uncle  Philip  collects  the  ducats  in  St.  Luke's  Church  with  the 
regularity  of  the  golden  ball ;  and  what  is  more,  his  perspicacious 
optics  readily  discern  the  difference  between  tin  and  silver  as  it 
descends  to  the  plate  below.  Can  any  iconoclast  show  such 
a  record  ?  We  think  not.  "Oh,  yes ;  there  are  exceptions ;  but 
they  are  not  very  numerous."  This  is  hedging.  And  we  can  give 
at  least  another  irrefragable  instance  to  prove  our  contention.  Up 
there  in  the  hills  of  Arlington  we  beheld  a  small  brigade  of  young- 
sters romping  around  the  well-kept  greensward,  playing  tag  and 
engaging  in  many  juvenile  pastimes.  It  naturally  occurred  to  us 
that  the  domicile  was  a  seminary  for  developing  the  intellectual 
acumen  of  the  progeny  of  the  "hupper  suckles"  of  high  society. 
We  were  mistaken.  The  eighteen  little  Abramses  were  merely 
indulging  in  their  matutinal  calisthenics.  And  Pa  and  Ma  Abrams 
seemed  to  be  as  happy  as  a  long,  sweet  song. 

AROUND  THE  METROPOLIS. 

Kingston,  the  capital,  has  a  population  of  60,000,  and  is  so  English 
that  the  dress  suit  is  the  irrevocable  rule  at  the  evening  meal.  More- 
over, the  domicile  that  can  claim  the  slightest  distinction  in  the 
way  of  a  double  gate  or  a  ten-foot  "lawn"  bears  the  nomenclature 
of  some  noble  house  of  Britain.  Hence  we  find  a  modest  little 
cottage,  surrounded  by  a  picket  fence,  styled  "Marlborough  Villa" 
or  perhaps  "Abercrombie  Hall."  Of  course,  there  are  residences  of 
superior  style  and  dignity,  while  stores  are  large  and  well  stocked, 
and  the  principal  market  could  readily  be  patterned  after  by  our 


lilllllllllllllllllllllllillliillilliilllilillii^iliiilllllll ■    :!<lllllllllllii|||||ll|||llHlllllllllllllllllllllliil!!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIIII|;ililll!li Illlllll!!lllllllilllllllillll!!!l!lllllllllllllll 


fe:illi'|!;:   :illlii"      :":  I'!::"1::'  ■:„!!.:'"-        '      Illillllllllll!i!l!!!l!l!!i!!! IIIIII191IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII llllliliilliiSiilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllM 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS      10 

■i^ : IIMII--. ..::,:■.;: ^  ■.. i:-.  .i:..:  :.     i::  . ■  -...  - -^  ■  ■  ■  .:: :.iii ;!:Miii:i::;!l!i;;^:;- ..iiiii ii; Illl!!:i1!i;;^:;;i,i: : !!Mi';i:;i:l!l:U^t;!!::^ , !M!^!ini:i,hNilMS[hliLlll1inininfijn;i:f^;:!: ||i|!|!:ii!!!i:::w;;;:.||!||j|||||j1,!r1)1j; 


American  municipalities,  for  it  is  large,  airy  and  trim.  The  main 
business  thoroughfare  is  wide  and  clean,  and  contains  several  build- 
ings of  importance.  "Trams" — that's  the  English  for  "trolleys" — 
take  the  tourist  on  many  pleasant  little  jaunts  to  agreeable  spots 
in  the  suburban  sections,  the  Colored  "guard"  collecting  "tuppence" 
for  the  convenience.  "Clarks"  in  the  shops  are  generally  Colored 
ladies  of  the  better  grade,  while  their  sisters  whose  craniums  haven't 
thoroughly  digested  the  various  post-graduate  ologies  sit  cross- 
legged  on  the  highways,  complacently  puffing  away  at  their  black 
pipes,  swapping  scandal,  ridiculing  the  curious  tourists  and  serenely 
hammering  mortar  off  the  bricks  that  fell  during  the  awful 
cataclysm  of  1907. 

The  principal  hotel  is  a  handsome  structure,  and  has  a  fine  view 
of  the  ocean  front;  there  are  also  smaller  places  with  comfortable 
quarters  and  reasonable  terms.  There  is  not  the  least  doubt  that 
the  little  black  boys  who  cavort  in  and  around  the  waters  of  the 
harbor  take  the  palm  at  long-distance  diving,  floating  and  swimming. 
They  reach  their  office  early  in  the  morning  and  remain  throughout 
the  day,  even  securing  their  meals  from  the  tender-hearted  stewards 
who  fling  decayed  bananas,  hardtack,  loaves  and  other  eatables  at 
their  ebony  heads.  They  catch  every  coin  that  comes  within  a 
reasonable  radius,  and  dive  far  down  into  the  depths  for  those  they 
miss.  If  a  sixpence  should  be  cast  too  far  afield,  they  scramble 
hand-over-hand  to  the  spot  and  then  disappear  like  so  many  lumps 
of  coal.  A  few  minutes  later  a  little  black  face  bubbles  above  the 
surface,  with  the  cry :  "Thank'ee,  mister ;  chuck  us  a  'bob'  dis  time." 

THE  TREACHEROUS  NEPTUNE. 

The  wily  Neptune  appeared  in  kindly  mood  as  we  glided  from  the 
emerald  shores  of  Jamaica  upon  the  shimmering  ripples  of  the 
Caribbean  of  romance.  Here  and  there  in  the  heavenly  vault 
soft,  translucent  clouds  played  hide-and-seek  with  the  glowing  noc- 
turnal queen,  whose  silver  beams  radiated  the  air,  the  sea  and  sky ; 
myriads  of  empyrean  gems  merrily  twinkled  as  they  sped  like 
seraphim  across  ceruleous  glens,  and  gently  swaying  to  and  fro, 
as  if  suspended  by  an  invisible  hand,  the  Southern  Cross  sparkled 
as  kohinoors  of  giant  mould.  Such  was  our  departure  for  the 
tip-top  of  the  South  American  continent.  Eight  bells  had  rung  their 
midnight  call  to  slumber,  but  still  we  stayed  to  enjoy  the  grandeur 
of  the  tropical  night.  At  last  the  vigilant  Morpheus  wooed  and 
won,  and  ere  two  bells  sang  out  their  paeans  the  cabins  claimed  their 
own.     We  retired  as  a  fairy  dream ;  we  awoke  to  the  startling 


uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^  1 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiii! iiiiiii[iiiuii!iiiiin iiiiiuiiijiiii 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiieiiiiiiiiiiiiii 


IIIIIIIIIIIH 


: :■  ■  ■! :;:;:;!:.::::;.r'ir!i!i!iiiiiiiiii; .ii.j     . .. ■■  i ; ;:. ■  .::'.,:.:■.■  ■       .: ::    -i'lM! .:  .     .-: !:!i;,:. 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 

^■-  ■::  ■.-:;!.-■  ■     -  ;;;■  ■    .  :     -;  :■■  ^     ...  -:.iM:i::: ::-    ■■;  ■ ,  :!H, ; iliiiililllilllillilllllllllillilliuililillllllilllliiil 


QCfjep  Charge  "Cuppettce"  a  |9art> 

This  is  how  they  sell  tobacco  in  Jamaica.     Some  of  these  coils  are 
long   enough    and   strong   enough   to   hold   a  man-of-war. 


I-  :T\ll|,;ili!l-i  ^^I'llil^llii;:    -lilllllllllfi;;:       :.:::    ,:l;>III|Ii:,- Illlllllllllil ;    :  .    u' -v"  -"■  "  ::         i Hill IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!l!l!lll!l!li|lilll|!I!lli 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS      n 


reality  that  all  was  not  as  placid  as  the  waters  of  the  previous 
night.  The  proud,  imperious  queen  of  all  the  Carib  seas  was 
pitching,  rolling  and  shuddering  as  a  frantic  leviathan  beset  on  every 
side  by  devouring  monsters  of  the  awful  deeps.  Black,  ominous, 
sepulchral  clouds  enshrouded  all  the  world.  Through  this  funereal 
pall  came  blinding  streaks  that  found  echo  in  thunderous  volleys 
of  giant  cannon  storming  aerial  battlements.  From  below  the 
roars  of  groaning  valves  and  clanging  bunker  doors  told  of  brawny 
stokers  rushing  the  ore  to  the  mighty  boilers  that  drove  the  faithful 
screws  to  frenzy  as  they  swung  Prinz  Joachim  to  breast  the  on- 
slaughts of  the  shrieking  sirens  now  demanding  the  toll  of  those 
measureless  depths. 

Higher,  yet  higher  soared  the  foaming  mountains — above  the  nest, 
across  the  bridge,  up  and  on  to  the  mystic  wires  aloft ;  now  engulfing 
stem  and  stern  in  a  monstrous  desire  to  lash  us  to  that  bourne 
from  whence  there  is  no  recall;  again  and  again  the  ferocious  imps 
hurl  their  wrath  against  us,  while  the  untrammeled  blades  race  and 
pound  as  the  bow  dips  fifty  feet  below,  to  struggle  upward  a  vortex 
of  seething  waters.  But  the  shipwright  had  done  his  duty  well, 
and  after  battering  us  for  half  a  day,  the  hurricane  howled  to  the 
south  as  inky  pall  gave  way  to  skies  of  friendly  mien. 


A  strong  nor'nester's  blowing,  Bill! 
Hark!  don't  ye  hear  it  roar  now? 
Lord  help  'cm,  hozv  I  pities  them 
Unhappy  folks  on  shore  how! 


Pitt. 


Wfyt  £tp=top  of  H>outfj  America 

Puerto  Colombia  lies  400  miles  due  south  of  Kingston,  and  cannot 
claim  to  be  an  ideal  harbor,  as  it  faces  an  open  roadstead  and  is  so 
shallow  tiiat  the  English  company  owning  the  railroad  to  Barran- 
quilla,  the  chief  "seaport"  of  Colombia,  was  compelled  to  build 
a  pier  nearly  a  mile  in  length  to  enable  ships  to  transfer  their 
cargoes  to  the  waiting  freight  cars.  The  place  contains  a  few 
shacks  called  houses,  the  roofs  of  which  are  covered  with  thatch. 
Small  children  dwell  close  to  nature,  while  their  dark-skinned 
mothers  bake  the  family  bread  in  primitive  ovens  made  of  clay. 
Barranquilla.  sixteen  miles  from  the  coast,  is  a  modern  city  of 
fifty  thousand  inhabitants,  and  its  fair-sized  stores  and  rich-appear- 


.,-■-.  .  .  .*v  .  •-= 


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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS  1 

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|                     FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS      12 
■^ ■.ii;i";!Mn:iiM  M:';Miii:::!i:i  ..::iiiiM;: ■  !;:li::■:■  ■-  ■,!■ 'i.^ii in.  ■;..  ■■..:.:. jliij!ij!;:■!:  ■  iiiii'. :;■ . ■; ! ^'im- ■ : .l:!!^;::!i!!.-      ■■■-:!:-:!:!..:,ii;;;i:: ;■  ^:^ iiiiin:i!!i iiiii;:,;:  ■■.'HMiiiiiiijMiiii!!::; ,.:!!;i; 


ing  residences  betoken  much  prosperity.  It  is  the  terminus  of  the 
various  steamboat  lines  running  up  the  Magdalena  River  and  also 
acts  as  the  mart  of  exchange  in  connection  with  transmarine  com- 
merce. Everything  is  Spanish — language,  customs  and  religion — 
but  there  is  quite  a  sprinkling  of  foreigners,  especially  Germans, 
who  control  the  bulk  of  Colombian  trade.  Old  Sol  shines  with 
equatorial  brilliancy  when  soaring  to  the  meridian,  and  during  the 
three-hour  siesta  avenidas  and  calles  are  as  devoid  of  animation 
as  Charing  Cross,  Champs  Elysees,  Under  den  Linden  or  Broadway 
are  alive  with  the  nerve-racking  now-or-never  of  the  temperate 
zone.  Not  a  biped  of  any  color,  nor  a  quadruped  of  any  species 
ventures  beyond  the  little  one-story,  iron-barred,  plastered  habita- 
tions until  the  terrific  heat  of  midday  has  been  assuaged  by  the 
cooling  zephyrs  that  wing  across  the  city  in  the  hours  of  diurnal 
decay.  At  the  stroke  of  six  the  sunset  gun  sends  forth  its  booming 
notes,  and  within  an  hour  the  Zocala  fills  with  the  gay  Lothario, 
embonpoint  dueha  and  aesthetic  senorita,  for  along  the  lengthy 
banks  of  the  noble  Magdalena,  as  in  places  not  remote,  the  demoi- 
selle who  tips  the  beam  beyond  the  ten-stone  limit  shatters  all  the 
ethics  of  refined  society.  Along  the  plaza  they  stroll  and  chat,  the 
senors  emitting  great  clouds  of  the  noxious  weed,  the  demoiselles 
flashing  glances  of  Andalusian  hue.  They  are  of  every  rank  and 
every  class,  and  judging  from  their  loquacity  and  gesticulations, 
one  and  all  are  filled  to  overflowing  with  a  store  of  knowledge 
somewhat  more  profound  than  an  encyclopedia  of  unabridged  di- 
mensions. At  nine  o'clock  the  silver-throated  chimes  roll  merrily 
above  the  lively  throng,  and  lo !  the  promenaders  avaunt  like  Ban- 
quo's  spectre  before  the  affrighted  glare  of  Cawdor's  Thane. 

THE  DISTANT  BOGOTA 

A  story  is  told  of  a  Britisher  of  the  "leezure  clawss"  who  ran 
over  to  America  to  get  a  glimpse  of  that  beastly  country.  After 
viewing  the  hundred-story  eye-shatterers  along  Broadway,  not  to 
mention  the  cozy  bungalows  along  Fifth  Avenue,  he  strolled  into 
the  Grand  Station  Station  and  said  to  the  brass-buttoned  functionary 
who  hands  out  pasteboards  for  so  many  coins  of  the  great  American 
realm : 

"Aw!  I  say,  me  good  man,  will  you  kindly  oblige  me  with  a 
round-trip  ticket  to  Sawn  Frawncisco?"  at  the  same  time  placing 
a  silver  dollar  on  the  windowsill. 

"Come  stronger,"  said  the  flippant  official  of  the  road.  "Hundred 
and  a  half  to  'Frisco  and  return." 


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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS      13 
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"Aw!  and  what  did  .3-ou  say,  old  top?" 

"It'll  cost  you  a  hundred  and  a  half  to  go  and  come." 

"My  word!  And  how  far  away  is  the  blooming  place?" 

"Dunno  'xactly,  but  guess  it's  3,000  miles." 

After  several  hours'  hard  work  the  hospital  doctors  succeeded 
in  resuscitating  the  bemonocled  tourist  from  the  little  islet  up  there 
in  the  North  Atlantic  Ocean. 

And  in  order  to  get  to  Bogota  you'll  have  to  do  some  tall  climbing 
over  the  hilltops  commonly  called  the  Andean  range.  One  of  these 
hills — Tolima — is  quite  lofty — in  the  neighborhood  of  19,000  feet — 
and  although  a  strong-armed  man  like  a  famous  American  Colonel 
could  stand  alongside  Cristobal  Colon's  statue  up  there  in  the  mounds 
of  Bogota  and  fling  a  brick  through  the  equator,  the  summit  is 
always  covered  with  a  thousand  feet  of  shimmering  snow.  The 
tourist  pays  fifty-five  dollars  for  a  one-way  pass  upon  a  queer- 
looking  two-decker  at  Barranquilla,  bound  "p  the  Magdalena  as 
far  as  La  Dorado,  which  is  reached  after  five  carefree  days  of 
watching  a  million  alligators,  crocodiles,  turtles  and  other  things 
paddling  around  the  boat  and  opening  their  mouths  as  if  yawning 
for  human  flesh.  We  arrive  safely  at  La  Dorado  and  take  a  train 
that  has  never  been  known  to  shatter  any  schedules  as  far  as  Puerto 
Beltran.  in  order  to  round  the  rapids  just  above  that  "port."  At 
Beltran  we  found  another  queer-looking  galleon  bearing  a  striking 
likeness  to  the  pictures  of  the  boat  Captain  Fulton  used  to  navigate 
up  and  down  the  Hudson  about  the  period  our  friend  Bonaparte, 
at  the  instigation  of  his  friends  the  enemy,  decided  to  travel  south- 
ward for  his  health — not  to  mention  the  health  of  his  friends  the 
enemy. 

Alligators — millions  of  them — swarm  up  and  down  the  Magda- 
lena, and  there  seems  to  be  no  likelihood  of  the  extinction  of  these 
reptiles,  whatever  slaughter  is  carried  on,  as  every  full-grown  female 
is  said  to  lay  about  one  hundred  eggs  in  a  year.  During  the  rainless 
months  the  streams  subside,  draining  the  great  alluvial  plains  which 
border  the  main  stream.  The  alligators,  which  rushed  out  onto 
the  inundated  flats  during  the  previous  swelling  of  the  river,  crowd 
back  through  the  connecting  branches  and  channels,  where  the 
Indian  hunters  slaughter  them  in  large  numbers,  spearing  them 
and  hauling  them  out  on  the  banks,  where  they  are  stunned  and  then 
beheaded  with  long-handled  axes.  Rifles  are  not  used,  owing  to 
the  prohibition  of  the  use  of  firearms,  except  shotguns.  Hundreds 
of  alligators  are  also  left  stuck  in  the  deep  slime  left  by  the  receding 
waters,  over  which  their  short  legs  will  not  drag  their  heavv  bodies. 


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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS      14 


The  animals  are  not  molested  in  the  main  stream,  as  the  swift 
current  and  deep  water  afford  them  easy  means  of  escape. 

They  range  in  length  from  five  to  twenty-five  feet,  and  some  of 
them  are  six  feet  of  girth.  Several  uncanny  leviathans  paddling 
alongside  the  boat  had  jaws  cavernous  enough  to  swallow  a  small 
tugboat,  and  it  is  an  actual  fact  that  their  teeth  grow  to  be  six 
inches  long.  Perhaps  it  sounds  like  a  dream  of  Ananias,  but  cold 
figures  assert  that  35,000  reptiles  are  annually  speared  and  exported, 
and  the  number  could  readily  be  increased  to  100,000,  all  of  which 
is  incontestable  evidence  that  'gators  are  pretty  numerous  along  the 
scenic  banks  of  the  Magdalena. 

Arriving  safely  at  Girardot.  the  stranger  is  bidden  ashore,  and 
now  begins  a  ride  up  the  heights  of  the  Cordilleras  that  would 
baffle  the  imaginative  pen  of  Monsieur  Yerne  or  the  versatile  quill 
of  Doctor  Haggard  to  faithfully  describe.  A  minute  or  so  after 
saying  adieu  to  the  bronzed  loafers  hanging  around  the  wharf  we 
make  a  turn  and  then  a  twist,  followed  by  contortions  that  make 
us  wonder  if  the  man  in  the  cab  is  like  the  man  on  the  cab  of 
Dublin  town  who  drove  us  up  and  down  and  all  around  the  city 
and  charged  five  shillings  for  something  we  could  have  done  in  five 
minutes.  But  the  belching,  the  shrieks,  the  throbs,  the  groans  of 
the  powerful  Scotch  locomotive  tell  us  we  are  leaving  the  lowlands 
for  something  more  exalted,  and  to  the  right  we  view  a  chasm 
that  means  perdition  to  the  unfortunate  wayfarer  thrown  from  the 
curving  rails ;  up  and  up  we  struggle,  and  to  the  left  a  roaring, 
foaming  cascade  comes  to  view  as  it  carves  its  way  towards  Honda : 
around  a  bend  and  across  a  skyline  bridge  suspended  from  the  sides 
of  friendly  crags;  higher  and  higher  we  climb,  the  smokestack 
sputtering  like  a  frenzied  madman  in  its  laudable  ambition  to  do  or 
die ;  and  every  zigzag  and  every  bend  brings  a  prospect  of  mountain 
solitudes,  rushing  rivers  and  awful  canyons  that  at  once  enthrall, 
fascinate  and  terrify  the  tourist  as  he  rolls  away  from  this  hollow 
world  of  lies. 

Hills  peef'  o'er  hills,  and  Alps  on  Alps  arise. 

All  this  seems  a  cumbersome  and  ancient  method  of  transporta- 
tion, and  it  is ;  but  we  should  be  very  thankful  for  all  these  con- 
veniences, as  it  has  only  been  within  the  last  twenty  years  that  mules 
were  employed  to  lug  passengers  and  cargo  up  those  precipitous 
gorges  leading  to  the  principal  city  of  the  nation. 

Bogota,  with  its  120,000  people,  reposes  nearly  tzco  miles  some- 
where in  and  above  those  translucent  vapors  we  call  the  clouds. 
We  asked  one  of  the  old-time  residents — quite  a  few  of  whom  live 


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-- 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 


to  be  as  old  as  the  hills — why  the  Spaniards  climbed  so  far  up  the 
Inca  trail  to  build  the  metropolis,  and  he  replied  that  the  ancient 
pioneers  were  a  nervous  lot  and  did  not  wish  their  vasor-motor 
filaments  to  be  irritated  by  invading  armies.  And  it  would  be  quite 
superfluous  to  suggest  that  their  wish  has  not  been  solemnly  acceded 
to,  for  Hannibal  or  Caesar,  Napoleon  or  Alexander — yes.  perhaps, 
Theodore  himself — might  balk  for  an  hour  or  so  ere  flinging  the 
ramparts  up  and  beyond  those  elongated  timbers. 

See  the  mountains  kiss  high  heaven. 
And  the  waves  clasp  one  another. 

—Shelley. 

The  town  will  never  rival  Xew  York  or  Chicago  as  the  home  of 
the  hundred-story  building,  for  earthquakes  are  frequent — so  fre- 
quent, in  fact,  that  the  older  residents  cannot  close  their  eyes  in 
slumber  until  rocked  to  sleep  by  the  playful  vibrations  of  our  beloved 
terra  firma — which,  as  all  Latin  scholars  know,  means  firm,  substan- 
tial earth.  Spaniards  called  the  country  Xew  Granada,  and  they 
should  have  named  Bogota  "Xew  Venice,"  for  the  San  Augustin 
and  San  Francisco  Rivers  split  the  place  into  four  divisions,  which 
are  reached  by  not  less  than  twenty  bridges.  Streets  are  clean  and 
well  paved,  trolley  cars  giving  very  good  service  to  the  traveler 
looking  for  sights ;  and  there  are  plenty  of  them  in  this  Spanish 
habitation.  One-story  houses  are  the  rule,  but  the  business  struc- 
tures reach  four  and  five  stories.  Red  tiles  bedeck  the  roofs  of  all 
the  dwellings,  not  excepting  the  great  Corinthian  Cathedral,  which 
is  quite  frequently  thronged  with  worshipers.  The  Avenida  de  la 
Republica  is  the  main  thoroughfare  and  compares  favorably  with 
the  principal  streets  of  our  smaller  cities.  Of  course,  there  is  a 
handsome  plaza,  a  bandstand,  four  daily  newspapers,  not  many  for- 
eigners, a  lot  of  fascinating  black-eyed  ladies  of  the  Spanish  cast, 
narrow  streets,  a  female  college,  a  university  and  a  museum  with 
many  specimens  of  ancient  Inca  civilization.  All  in  all,  Bogota  is 
worth  traveling  ten  thousand  miles  to  see. 

Tourists  contemplating  a  visit  to  Colombia  should  be  sure  and 
take  along  an  overcoat  and  a  package  of  gilt-edged  letters  of  intro- 
duction from  people  of  great  renown,  otherwise  the  young  squaw 
answering  the  annunciator  will  probably  inform  you  that  the  Lady 
Senora  has  just  departed  for  the  shopping  district.  Of  course,  we 
all  recognize  that  the  higher  we  ascend  the  cooler  becomes  the 
atmosphere ;  and  it  can't  be  denied  that  Bogota  is  high — nearly  9,000 


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Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllIIilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllBlllllllllllll 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS      16 

liiiiiiiiiiiiiii!  niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinii! iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii nun iiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiii mmiiiiiiiiiiimmmmm mimiiiiiiiiiiiiiimmimmmimiimiiiiiiiiii iiiimimmiiiiiiiiiiiimimmmiiiiiimiiiiiiiimmmmimimii| 


feet  above  the  yawning  jaws  of  the  hungry  alligators  wallowing  in 
the  mud  down  at  Honda.  It  therefore  stands  to  reason  that  human 
blood  should  fail  to  properly  circulate  at  this  altitude ;  after  sunset 
everybody  complains  about  the  cold,  even  in  the  adobe  sections 
inhabited  by  the  humble  but  honest  proletariat.  Along  the  ultra- 
aristocratic  Avenida  de  Colon  a  roaring  cascade  has  been  known  to 
petrify  at  a  single  glance  from  the  awe-generating  glare  of  a  grand 
dame  de  Bogota.  In  some  countries  the  baa  of  the  golden  calf  flings 
wide  the  doors  and  windows ;  but  this  is  Colombia,  not  Co/»;»bia, 
and  Madame  Calderon  de  la  Barca,  wife  of  the  former  Minister  of 
Spain,  gives  a  pretty  good  illustration  of  the  frigidity  rolling  around 
the  gilded  gates  of  the  famous  Champs  Elysees  of  the  Southland. 
To  paraphrase  the  lady:  "There  is  one  piece  of  etiquette  entirely 
Colombian,  nor  can  I  imagine  whence  derived,  by  which  it  is  or- 
dained, that  all  new  arrivals,  whatever  their  rank,  foreign  Ministers 
not  excepted,  must,  in  solemn  print,  give  notice  to  every  family  of 
an}-  consideration  in  the  capital  that  they  have  arrived  and  put  them- 
selves and  their  homes  at  the  disposal  of  the  residents,  failing  in 
which  etiquette  the  newly  arrived  family  will  remain  unnoticed  and 
unknown.'' 

Several  years  ago  an  English  capitalist  who  made  a  great  for- 
tune in  a  mining  operation  built  a  palatial  home  on  the  magnificent 
Boulevard  de  Colon.  When  the  time  arrived  to  throw  wide  the 
portals,  invitations  were  issued  to  every  family  o'f  importance, 
especially  those  of  the  most  exclusive  ranks  of  society.  The  caterer 
whose  cuisinery  nourishes  the  aesthetic  palates  of  the  elect  outdid 
himself  in  the  splendid  dejeuner  prepared  for  the  auspicious  event, 
while  contraltos  and  tenors  of  great  renown  were  at  hand  to  charm 
the  well-bred  ear  of  dignified  senor,  elegant  sehora  and  lithesome 
sefiorita.  It  so  happened,  however,  that  the  wife  of  the  man 
of  millions  in  previous  days  had  contracted  a  marriage  with  a 
gentleman  whose  idiosyncrasies  (so  she  said)  made  life  unbearable. 
She  thereupon  repaired  to  Reno,  and  after  a  curtailed  sojourn 
in  the  "queen"  city  of  Nevada  took  as  husband  the  mining  king. 
It  is  unnecessary  to  remark  that  up-to-date  institutions  of  the 
divorce  mill  order  are  quite  incompatible  with  the  retrogressive  life 
of  old  Colombia,  and  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have  yet  to 
scale  the  lofty  pinnacles  of  the  South  American  Andes,  it  may 
be  stated  that  although  a  very  hot  day  is  still  unrecorded  by  the 
painstaking  clerk  to  whom  has  been  assigned  the  tabulation  of 
the  atmospheric  data  of  the  City  of  Bogota,  nightfall  always  means 
light  overcoats  and  light  furs,  even  in  the  season  when  the  great 


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|  FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       17 

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caloric  ball  casts  its  most  affectionate  gleam  upon  the  Southland. 
In  order  to  better  understand  the  meaning  of  9,000  feet,  let  us 
cast  our  mind's  eye  upon  a  modern  ten-story  building,  a  type  by 
no  means  common  in  these  days  of  babelized  architecture,  except- 
ing in  a  few  of  the  larger  cities.  We  will  place  ten  cloud-piercers 
upon  the  first,  and  continue  to  add  ten  upon  ten  until  we  have  an 
edifice  that  might  baffle  a  New  York  contractor — some  nine  hun- 
dred stories  above  the  ground ! — and  the  air  is  so  light  at  this  point 
that  the  mercury  descends  immediately  after  sunset,  sometimes 
falling  to  40  degrees  by  10  o'clock.  The  night  of  the  soiree  a 
polar  blast  swept  across  the  northern  horizon,  and  when  the  hour 
arrived  for  exchanging  felicitations  the  magnate's  gargons  slum- 
bered for  want  of  something  to  do.  Not  one  Colombian  lady  of 
recognized  social  status  graced  the  gathering.  A  few  weeks  later 
the  grand  dame's  physician  peremptorily  ordered  her  to  quit  the 
city,  because  the  altitudinous  oxygen  had  apologized  the  percep- 
tiveness  of  her  sensorium !  The  couple  immediately  sailed  away 
to  establish  their  future  'ome  in  Merrie  England.  The  million-dollar 
lobster  palace  was  later  knocked  down  for  a  Castilian  song  to  a 
plebeian  parvenu  whose  father  had  worked  others  for  a  living. 

We  cannot  slight  this  great  country  by  merely  relating  incidents 
along  the  line.  The  Republic  deserves  a  bulky  volume  to  properly 
describe  its  enormous  possibilities.  Colombia  covers  about  500,000 
square  miles  of  territory — that  is  to  say.  as  large  as  Germany, 
France  and  Great  Britain  combined,  with  a  population  nearing  the 
5,000,000  mark.  The  surface  of  the  country  varies  from  the  low- 
lying  plains  of  the  East  to  the  lofty  mountains  of  the  West,  and  is 
washed  on  either  side  by  Atlantic  and  Pacific.  The  hot  regions 
produce  everything  known  to  the  tropics,  while  the  lands  above, 
which  are  verdant  as  high  as  11.000  feet,  produce  vegetation  known 
to  many  climes.  Mineral  deposits  are  illimitable,  and  there  is  no 
doubt  that  when  the  country  increases  in  population  Colombia  will 
become  a  wealthy  nation  of  the  first  magnitude.  It  is  true  that 
political  conditions  in  the  past  have  not  been  conducive  to  the  well- 
being  of  the  country,  but  of  late  years  a  determined  effort  has  been 
made  by  all  classes  to  bring  about  a  more  tranquil  system  of 
government. 

Railroad  connections  will  not  connect  the  capital  with  the  West- 
ern coast  for  many  a  long  day ;  so  the  traveler  returns  down  the 
Magdalena,  and  generally  sails  from  Cartagena,  a  venerable  eastern 
seaport.    The  town  is  very  ancient,  many  of  the  streets  being  barely 


inniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!:!:!  mini 1 iiiiiiiiiiiii 


■Illlllllllllllll! Illllllllllllllllllllllllllll 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 

i  mill! .,1 


Cartagena,  Colombia,  Jlessembleg  ©it  JfenuSalem 

Cartagena  was  formerly  the  most  important   seaport  of  Colombia, 
but   has    recently   been   outdistanced   by    Barranquilla. 


Illlllllllllllllillllilflflllllllll! illlllllllllllllllllHIIIIIIIinillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllKlillllllllllllllllllllllllll 


■lllllllllHllllii 


pillllilllll!lll!lllllll!l!!lililllilllllllllllll!lllllllllllill I1I!IIIII!!IIII!!I!II1IIIII!!II!III IIIIHII1III! | ||||||||||«!|||||||| |||||||||||||»|||||||||| !l«IUIIIIilllll||lllllllttllllllll|ll|||||||lil||I|||||||||||||ll|H||i 

|  FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS      18 

»■ iiiiiiiiiiii ■■linn mill iiimiiimmn mumim nun mmimimm niniiniiinu nnnnniiiiiuni i nun iiiiiiinii iiiiiiiiiiiiui iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii n 1 


wide  enough  to  allow  the  passage  of  two  carts  in  opposite  directions. 
It  stands  on  an  island  and  communication  to  the  mainland  is  had 
by  a  series  of  bridges.  From  a  distance,  Cartagena  bears  a  strong 
resemblance  to  ancient  Jerusalem,  and  many  of  the  inhabitants 
appear  to  have  participated  in  the  ceremonies  attending  the  digging 
of  the  first  foundations  of  the  city.  A  university  of  note,  a  fine- 
looking  cathedral,  the  usual  plaza  and  quite  a  number  of  itinerant 
peddlers  are  to  be  found  within  the  confines  of  the  port.  Perhaps 
these  Cartaginians  have  many  obsessions,  but  it  cannot  be  stated 
with  any  degree  of  truth  that  they  are  obsessed  with  any  desire 
to  outrival  each  other  in  the  field  of  toil. 

THE  SPANISH  TONGCE. 
Before  plowing  the  waves  that  roll  across  the  Caribbean  Sea,  let 
us  stop  for  a  moment  and  consider  the  vast  continent  that  pays 
tribute  to  the  tongue  of  ancient  Spain.  Roughly  speaking,  Spanish 
America,  from  the  Rio  Grande  to  Magellan  Strait,  embraces  eight 
million  square  miles  of  territory,  a  considerable  part  of  which  con- 
tains vast  deposits  of  every  mineral  known  to  the  geologist,  while 
forests  of  enormous  proportions  dot  the  surface  of  many  pristine 
lands;  and  when  we  consider  that  the  vast  bulk  of  this  area,  with 
its  diversified  climates,  is  accessible  and  productive  of  the  greatest 
agricultural  and  industrial  results,  the  comparison  between  Eng- 
lish-speaking America  (six  million  square  miles)  and  that  of  the 
Castilian  tongue  must  weigh  heavily  in  the  latter's  favor.  Brazil 
and  Peru  combined  are  larger  than  the  entire  Continent  of  Europe. 
Six  French  Republics  could  be  placed  within  the  confines  of  the 
thriving  Argentine.  Were  Germany  thrice  her  present  size,  there 
would  be  room  for  her  and  England  within  the  borders  of  Bolivia 
and  Ecuador.  There  is  space  for  four  Spanish  kingdoms,  together 
with  Ireland,  Belgium  and  Holland,  in  Colombia  and  Venezuela, 
while  the  Chilean  Republic  covers  twice  the  area  of  the  Mikado's 
busy  empire.  The  land  of  the  Southern  Cross  is  making  giant 
strides  commercially,  politically  and  socially,  and  her  language  shall 
one  day  challenge  supremacy  with  English  itself  in  the  Western 
Hemisphere.  It  should  be  understood  that  the  musical  speech  of 
Spain  is  daily  used  by  nearly  one  hundred  million  members  of  the 
human  family.  Nor  are  these  people  below  mediocrity  in  matters 
pertaining  to  education  or  social  laws.  Institutions  of  learning  are 
numerous,  while  science,  letters,  music  and  art  have  countless  fol- 
lowers. A  great  future  confronts  our  friends  of  the  Southland, 
and  there  is  good  reason  for  emphasizing  the  necessity  of  introducing 
their  language  into  the  superior  schools  of  the  United  States. 


iiiniiiiiniiiuii 


lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!llll!l!!lllllllliillllllllllllllU 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS      19 

lll!ll!!!Hlllllll!!llllllllllll!lll!ll!!lil!ltt!!ll!!!lllllllllllllll!!l!IIIH 


Wfyt  Manama  Canal 


Before  attempting  a  necessarily  brief  survey  of  the  fifty-mile 
link  that  is  destined  to  change  the  commercial  routes  of  the  whole 
civilized  world,  as  well  as  to  dim  or  illumine  the  prestige  and 
affluence  of  many  nations  now  of  high  and  low  degree,  it  should 
be  known  that  the  consummation  of  the  Panama  Canal  is  the  dream 
of  centuries  and  is  coincident  with  Balboa's  discovery  of  the  Pacific 
in  15 13.  King,  the  able  author  of  "Wonders  of  the  World,"  states 
that  "in  the  town  library  of  Nuremberg  is  preserved  a  globe,  made 
by  Johann  Schoner  in  1520.  It  is  remarkable  that  the  passage 
through  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  so  much  sought  after  in  later  times, 
is  on  this  globe  carefully  traced."  The  historian  Gomera  advocated 
the  union  of  the  oceans  in  1550;  and  it  has  been  recorded  that  the 
Dutch  prepared  plans  for  the  same  work  upwards  of  two  hundred 
years  ago.  Cutting  through  the  waist  of  the  earth  was  such  a 
popular  theme  that  the  ubiquitous  Munchhausen  felt  compelled  to 
consign  to  paper  a  most  remarkable  and  interesting  account  of  how 
he  wedded  Atlantic  to  Pacific  in  1786.  It  preceded  the  prophecy 
of  Goethe  by  a  generation,  and  runs  as  follows: 

"On  our  arrival  at  the  Isthmus  of  Darien,  sensible  of  what 
general  benefit  it  would  be  to  mankind,  I  immediately  formed  a 
plan  of  cutting  a  canal  across  the  Isthmus  from  sea  to  sea.  For 
this  purpose  I  drove  my  chariot  with  the  greatest  impetuosity  re- 
peatedly from  shore  to  shore,  in  the  same  track,  tearing  up  the 
rocks  and  earth  thereby,  and  forming  a  tolerable  bed  for  the  water. 
God  and  Magog  next  advanced  at  the  head  of  a  million  of  people 
from  the  realm  of  North  and  South  America,  and  from  Europe, 
and  with  infinite  labor  cleared  away  the  earth  and  rocks  that  I  had 
plowed  up  with  my  chariot.  I  then  again  drove  my  chariot,  making 
the  canal  wider  and  deeper,  and  ordered  Gog  and  Magog  to  repeat 
their  labor  as  before.  The  canal  being  a  quarter  of  a  mile  broad  and 
three  hundred  yards  in  depth,  I  thought  it  sufficient  and  immediately 
let  in  the  waters  of  the  sea.  I  did  imagine  that  from  the  rotary 
motion  of  the  earth  on  its  axis  from  west  to  east,  the  sea  would 
be  higher  on  the  eastern  than  the  western  coast,  and  that  on  the 
uniting  of  the  two  seas  there  would  be  a  strong  current  from  the 
east,  and  it  happened  just  as  I  expected.  The  sea  came  in  with 
tremendous  magnificence,  and  enlarged  the  bonds  of  the  canal,  so 
as  to  make  a  passage  of  some  miles  broad  from  ocean  to  ocean, 
and  make  an  island  of  South  America.  Several  sail  of  trading 
vessels  and  men-of-war  sailed  through  this  new  channel   to  the 


illllUillllllllllll 


!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!iini!!;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiii:iiiiiiiw 


FIVE  THO  USAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 

llllllllllilllllllllllllllB^^^ ni[||||l|[||||llllllllllllllllllll[|||||||||||||||IIIIIIH[UIIIIIIIII|]|l!!!:illl[|||||||||||||||lll!lli!!!l 


IIHliJ]nM!IMIII!IE[!H[rFn[JlJlHMIlinMIIM!l!hB!llll!IJJi]nilMlHJMniiill!iiiaiEIMIininiMnyNnMIIIMIMIiin[[irMllliJllini]nnJiHlilllll!IEI!!EPir[[MlllllllNllilJ!llini IIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM^ 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       20  j 

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiffiiiiiiiiiiM^ 


South  Seas  and  China,  and  saluted  me  with  all  their  cannon  as 
they  passed.  Thus  having  wedded  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  South 
Sea,  I  returned  to  England." 

EARLIER  PROJECTS. 

The  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  at  the  extreme  southern  end  of 
Mexico,  was  long  favored  by  the  Spaniards,  and  it  is  known  that 
Cortes  had  a  survey  made  about  1530  for  a  canal  to  link  the  Gulf 
with  the  Pacific.  The  isthmus  at  this  point  is  120  miles  wide,  and 
the  project  was  held  in  abeyance  and  finally  abandoned  upon  the 
completion  of  the  railroad  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Salina  Cruz  thirty 
years  ago.  The  Nicaraguan  route  had  many  adherents,  and  in 
1889  the  Nicaraguan  Canal  Company,  an  American  corporation, 
undertook  the  work  of  sailing  ships  from  coast  to  coast  via  the  San 
Juan  River  and  Lake  Nicaragua,  the  latter  being  no  feet  above 
the  level.  This  projected  highway  was  to  have  been  170  miles  in 
length,  of  which  142  miles  passed  through  the  river  and  lake, 
leaving  28  miles  to  be  excavated.  Much  money  was  expended  in 
dredging,  pier  building  and  railway  construction.  The  United  States 
Commissioners  estimated  that  $130,000,000  would  be  required. 
Financial  difficulties  resulted  in  the  liquidation  of  the  company. 
Ferdinand  de  Lesseps,  the  able  French  engineer  who  supervised  the 
construction  of  the  Suez  Canal,  undertook  the  task  of  snapping  the 
rock-ribbed  strip  binding  the  vast  empires  of  the  North  and  South. 
He  had  linked  Orient  with  Occident  in  the  remarkably  short  space 
of  ten  years  and  six  months ;  but  it  will  be  recalled  that  the  Suez 
route,  although  one  hundred  miles  in  length,  passes  through  three 
lakes  fifty-eight  miles  long.  After  years  of  incapacity,  mismanage- 
ment and  pestilence,  the  French  shareholders  lost  the  large  sum  of 
$300,000,000.  Colonel  George  W.  Goethals,  the  eminent  chief  en- 
gineer of  the  Canal  Commission,  has  found  available  about  30,- 
000,000  of  the  78,000,000  cubic  yards  excavated  by  the  Gallic 
workers. 

After  satisfactory  arrangements  were  completed  for  the  purchase 
of  the  French  company's  rights  for  $40,000,000,  negotiations  with 
the  Republic  of  Panama  were  carried  on  to  secure  other  necessary 
rights  and  privileges  not  held  by  the  French  company.  After  a 
long  delay,  a  treaty  was  formulated,  which  was  rejected  by  Colombia 
in  1903.  The  Province  of  Panama,  an  integral  part  of  Colombia, 
thereupon  seceded  and  organized  an  independent  republic  with  an 
area  of  about  31,000  square  miles,  resulting  in  the  negotiations  of  a 


llllllllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllli 


llllllllllllllll»lllllllll!!l!lllllilllll!ll»n«illillllllllllllllllilllllll!IIIIIM 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       21 

■!lillliiillllill!lllililili!iiiiiiiiiiiiiililliillliliiiiiiii:::iiiliiililliii!liil!N 


satisfactory  treaty  with  the  new  Republic  of  Panama,  including  the 
payment,  under  certain  terms,  of  $10,000,000  by  the  United  States 
to  the  Republic  of  Panama  and  an  annual  payment  of  $250,000 
beginning  nine  years  after  the  signing  of  the  treaty.  Under  this 
treaty  the  United  States  guaranteed  the  independence  of  the  Re- 
public of  Panama  and  secured  absolute  control  over  what  is  now 
called  the  Canal  Zone,  a  strip  of  land  about  ten  miles  in  width, 
with  the  Canal  through  the  centre,  and  forty-five  miles  in  length 
from  sea  to  sea,  with  an  area  of  about  450  square  miles.  The  formal 
opening  will  occur  January  1,  1915,  after  250,000,000  cubic  yards 
have  been  excavated. 

It  would  require  a  volume  of  literature  to  convey  a  true  conception 
of  the  magnitude  of  the  isthmian  span  between  the  Caribbean's 
roll  and  the  Pacific's  swell,  for  it  is  undoubtedly  the  greatest  work 
the  dauntless  engineer  has  as  yet  attempted  in  conquering  problems 
that  have  baffled  and  defied  the  mind  and  muscle  of  man.  The 
entire  length  of  the  Canal  from  deep  water  in  the  Atlantic  to  deep 
water  in  the  Pacific  is  about  fifty  miles.  Its  length  from  shore 
line  to  shore  line  is  about  forty  miles.  In  passing  through  it  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  a  vessel  will  enter  the  approach  channel 
in  Limon  Bay  and  proceed  to  Gatun,  a  distance  of  about  seven  miles. 
At  Gatun  it  will  enter  a  series  of  three  locks  in  flight,  varying  from 
25  to  30  feet,  and  be  lifted  85  feet  to  the  level  of  Gatun  Lake.  (A 
study  of  the  Profile  will  enable  the  reader  to  intelligently  grasp 
the  meaning  and  extent  of  these  figures.)  The  ship  may  steam  at 
full  speed  through  this  lake,  in  a  channel  varying  from  1,000  to 
500  feet  in  width,  for  a  distance  of  about  24  miles,  to  Bas  Obispo, 
where  it  will  enter  the  Culebra  Cut.  It  will  pass  through  the  Cut. 
a  distance  of  about  nine  miles,  in  a  channel  with  a  bottom  width 
of  300  feet,  to  Pedro  Miguel.  There  it  will  enter  a  lock  and  be 
lowered  30  feet  to  a  small  lake,  at  an  elevation  of  54  feet  above 
sea  level,  and  will  pass  through  this  for  about  one  and  a  half  miles 
to  Miraflores.  There  it  will  enter  two  locks  in  series  and  be  lowered 
to  sea  level,  passing  out  into  the  Pacific  through  a  channel  about 
eight  and  one-half  miles  in  length,  with  a  bottom  width  of  500  feet. 

THE  GIANT  LOCKS. 

The  lock  gates  will  be  steel  structures  7  feet  thick,  65  feet  long 
and  from  47  to  82  feet  high.  In  the  construction  of  the  locks  it 
is  estimated  that  there  will  be  used  approximately  5,000,000  barrels 
of  cement.    Vessels  will  not  be  permitted  to  enter  or  pass  through 


SlllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllilliH^ 


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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 

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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       22  | 

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the  locks  under  their  own  power,  but  will  be  towed  through  by 
electric  locomotives  running  on  cog  rails  laid  on  the  tops  of  the 
lock  walls,  which  are  about  as  tall  as  a  six-story  house. 

The  water  surface  of  the  lake  will  be  maintained  during  the 
rainy  season  -at  87  feet  above  sea  level,  making  the  minimum  channel 
depth  in  the  Canal  47  feet.  Forty  vessels  will  be  enabled  to  make 
the  passage  daily  from  coast  to  coast,  or  more  than  twice  that  of  the 
famous  Suez  Canal. 

The  United  States  Government  has  spent  several  million  dollars 
in  giving  the  Zone  thorough  sanitation  and  erected  homes  and 
boarding  houses  for  its  army  of  diggers.  The  various  "town  sites" 
along  the  route  contain  model  homes  for  a  tropical  community. 
Everything  is  built  above  the  ground,  so  as  to  allow  the  fresh  air — 
and  there  is  an  abundance  of  it  on  the  Isthmus — to  invade  the 
innermost  recesses,  while  wire  netting  all  around  the  verandas  pro- 
tects the  sleeper  during  his  nocturnal  rest.  Climatic  conditions  are 
more  favorable  than  many  are  wont  to  believe  because  of  its  near- 
ness to  the  equator.  The  temperature  ranges  between  70  and  80 
degrees. 

The  volume  of  trade  now  passing  over  the  tracks  of  the  Panama 
Railroad  is  stupendous.  Opened  in  1855,  the  fare  for  many  years 
was  $25  across  the  Isthmus — over  fifty  cents  per  mile !  To-day 
it  is  $2.40. 


Serosa  Coata  Mmn  $eato 

Northbound  "fruiters"  find  Port  Limon  a  profitable  port  of  call, 
for  the"  banana  crop  is  so  great  that  two  ships  a  day  could  readily 
be  loaded  to  the  line.  Excepting  on  the  southern  entrance  to  the 
harbor,  the  town  is  at  the  mercy  of  the  open  sea.  Docking  facilities 
are  above  the  ordinary,  being  built  by  a  large  American  fruit 
company  that  practically  controls  the  trade  of  the  Republic.  The 
principal  object  of  interest  that  attracts  the  tourist  is  the  loading 
of  the  countless  thousands  of  green  bananas  that  ascend  from  wharf 
to  deck  on  an  appliance  constructed  on  the  lines  of  a  moving 
staircase.  Two  stevedores  on  the  deck  roll  the  large  bunches  to 
men  below,  and  they  in  turn  keep  the  fruit  moving  downward  af tet 
the  fashion  of  an  endless  chain.  Forty  thousand  bunches  are  thus 
handled  in  the  space  of  ten  hours,  with  two  gangs  feeding  the 
hatches  fore  and  aft.  The  town  itself  is  of  little  importance,  for 
it  is  in  the  centre  of  the  rain  belt,  which  sometimes  means  an 


l!!!!!nilll!llllllillllllllI!!!l!!!!l!![«IIIIIIIIIIW 


Lr=  : ;!!iiiiiii!:]Mf';:;!:::!!!!i;:;- in:;:  .  ■:::-:■■    ■;  :      . ..;,!M  i:  ::  Mi: ::  ■     ..  ■ '■;  .'iiiiM'M''  .  ■:■ ,:  .       . .M!i!,-.       .  ■       ,:i:!i;       :: i  .^i!:!!;!;: .    : '!; .,: .  . .  :i:: ;!    :::':i:ji ::,...^     :i:::.;:::    MMhg: 

J      FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 

liiiiiin mi iiniiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mi  mi inn in mum i iiiii urn 11 i iiiiiHiiiHiiiinnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinuniiiiiiiii 


Entering-  from  Gatnn  Dam  or  Atlantic,  ships  are  raised  or  lowered 

eisfhtv-five  feet. 


iiiiiiinniiiiinniiiin1 miiiiuinnnnnnnininiiininiiiinnin !  ■ mania iinnnnnnnniiHiiiiiniii n iiiinnnnni niiiiinninnniniiiii innnnuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinniniininnuiiiiiii iiiiiiiniiiiiuniuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHti 


pilIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Hill  '  : !;::::  -  :::,'Mi::.!!M!:ii;::'.  ^  ■■  ■  - !::;iM:^  li;:.;:::  :.  -;;i:M:!! ;: ::; : . : ::  .^iLii^:1-' : ,: :;; :;:,: ::  -  :■ ;- iiiiiiih^  M!:::; ,. :;:: , : :..;:!;'!!!:  :■.  -;::':!, :H:;-::;;:i: ii-ig; 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        23  | 

lull  111 Illllllllll BIIDURnfflniUlllllfHIIIinnilil1in»HHH!KIIIIfNMNIIIllMtltI!JIHIl»I»i!HII[»II|]| IIIIIIHllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^ 


inundation  copious  enough  to  float  a  few  of  our  ten-million-dollar 
dreadnoughts.  The  railroad  ride  to  San  Jose  is  one  of  tropical 
and  sub-tropical  grandeur,  the  engine  doing  heavy  drilling  in  its 
climb  up  and  around  the  curving,  twisting  rails  that  lead  to  the 
metropolis,  one  hundred  miles  to  the  west.  Six  hours  are  required 
to  make  the  ascent,  for  the  city  is  5,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
earth,  and  at  a  point  nine  miles  distant  the  track  reaches  an  altitude 
of  6,000  feet.  The  seat  of  legislation  is  built  on  a  level  plateau, 
surrounded  by  undulating  ridges,  and  the  climatic  conditions  are 
most  agreeable.  Midday  is  never  excessively  hot  and  the  nights 
are  always  cool  enough  for  sheet  and  blanket.  Being  of  Spanish 
blood,  the  Costa  Ricans  love  music  and  song,  so  they  spent  a 
million  and  a  half  in  the  erection  of  the  National  Opera  House, 
a  theatre  of  regal  magnificence,  thus  displaying  great  artistic  devel- 
opment on  the  part  of  40,000  citizens  of  the  capital  of  a  little  nation 
that  claims  a  population  of  400,000  souls.  The  building,  illuminated 
by  an  enormous  number  of  electric  lights,  is  so  arranged  that  the 
entire  floor  can  be  raised  to  one  level  for  public  and  private 
functions.  The  Cathedral,  a  noble  edifice,  stands  alone  and  faces 
a  beautiful  zocala,  the  Parque  Morazan,  wherein  are  to  be  found 
a  thousand  species  of  plant  life. 

SAN  JOSE  IS  UP-TO-DATE. 

It  is  not  hyperbole  to  say  that  there  are  but  few  cities  of  the 
same  size  that  display  more  animation  or  progressiveness  than  we 
find  in  San  Jose.  Bananas  and  coffee  have  produced  an  elite  second 
to  none,  and  their  sons  and  daughters  are  generally  educated  in 
the  United  States  and  Europe.  One-story  houses  are  the  rule,  and 
many  of  these  are  of  adobe ;  but  on  the  Calle  Real  there  are  hand- 
some domiciles  surrounded  by  tropical  gardens.  The  town  has  its 
aristocratic  suburbs,  which  are  reached  by  the  trolley  line,  and  it 
is  a  peculiar  fact  that  this  bustling  little  metropolis  boasts  the  only 
electric  car  service  south  of  Mexico  City  in  North  America.  Heavy 
shutters,  iron  bars  and  the  grilles  reminiscent  of  mediaeval  Spain, 
such  as  one  sees  in  many  old  colonial  towns  of  Central  and  South 
America,  are  conspicuous  by  their  absence  in  San  Jose.  It  will  be 
recalled  that  Cartago  was  devastated  by  earth  shocks  early  in  1910, 
when  the  Arbitration  Palace  built  by  Mr.  Andrew  Carnegie  at  a 
cost  of  $250,000  was  shaken  down.  The  climate  is  healthy  and 
fresh,  and  the  residents  deserve  unbounded  praise  for  their  efforts 
to  dig  away  the  debris  and  erect  a  newer  and  finer  city. 

Limon  has  a  Western  rival  on  the  Pacific  Slope  in  the  port  of 


llllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllll I Illlllllllllllll Illllllllll Ill I Ill IBIHIIIIIIIIIII II! Illlllllll I IIIIIIIIIIIII Illllllllllllll illllllllilllilllllllllll lillllllllililllHIl Illllllllll ill 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 


ui.i.i .. 


Costa  Pica's  palatial  piome  of  JHusic 

Costa  Ricans  are  mostly  of  Spanish  blood,  and  of  course  love  music 
and  song.     The  National  Opera  House  cost  $1,500,000. 


"liiiiiiiniiiiiiiii;!;!::)::,':;:;:!!!!!!!:!!:;!:!,!!!:,^,?;:;!:  . 


pilllllllllllllllllllllllll!llllin:i!lllllllll!IIIIIIUIIIII!IIIIIIW  Illllllllllll lill[llil[[|[llllllI!ll!l|[[[|[lllllll!lll!lll!lli!lli[lllllll!l!!IIIIIIIUIIII| 

|  FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       24  | 

Iuilllllllll!!Ull!li!!!!l!(i[|IIIII!!!!!l!l!l!!«lllllll!li!!!!!!Ulli!!l!iy 


Punta  Arenas.  For  some  peculiar  reason,  the  air  is  dry  and  devoid 
of  humidity,  making  the  town  quite  a  resort  for  vacationists. 
Situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Nicoyan  Gulf,  lively  winds  help  to 
make  life  worth  while  in  this  tropical  land.  Great  skill  has  been 
required  to  link  the  capital  city  with  the  coast,  for  the  roadbed 
drops  five  thousand  feet  in  its  descent  to  the  level.  Several  modern 
bridges  span  chasms  that  fall,  it  seemed  from  our  dizzy  point  of 
vantage,  to  the  very  centre  of  the  earth  itself,  and  as  we  gazed 
upon  the  wind-swept  plains,  encircled  by  the  ragged  mountain  chain ; 
as  we  caught  the  sparkle  of  miniature  cities  jeweled  here  and  there 
in  oases  of  olive  and  orange ;  as  we  viewed  the  rushing  rivers  madly 
sweeping  across  a  thousand  gorges  to  the  western  seas,  we  unhesi- 
tatingly pronounced  Costa  Rica  one  of  the  most  marvelously  pic- 
turesque countries  under  the  sun. 

Along  the  curving  lines  of  the  Gulf  the  cement  promenade  is 
shaded  by  a  long  row  of  amate  tree,  sometimes  known  as  the 
banyan.  Roots  climb  downward  from  the  branches,  and  after  taking 
a  firm  hold  in  the  earth,  continue  to  spread  their  limbs  indefinitely 
along  the  shore.  Men  obsessed  with  a  desire  to  enlighten  the  world 
in  the  field  of  letters  and  young  ladies  with  an  ambition  to  excel 
Michael  Angelo  as  wielders  of  the  brush  artistic  could  not  find  a 
more  agreeable  spot  on  this  terrestrial  sphere  than  along  the  prome- 
nade of  picturesque  Punta  Arenas. 


Ships  on  the  Pacific  side  are  not  noted  for  their  record-smashing 
capabilities,  so  it  required  five  days  to  reach  Manzanillo,  a  pro- 
gressive Pacific  port  of  Mexico.  But  our  itinerary  called  for  views 
far  more  ancient  than  modern  piers,  so  we  hastened  to  climb  the 
highlands  leading  to  cooler  and  more  historic  regions.  During  the 
journey  up  the  steep  incline  leading  to  Guadalajara  a  broadspreading 
plume  of  black,  thick  smoke  obscured  the  heavens  from  our  view. 
Forest  fires,  no  doubt,  were  ravaging  the  virgin  woodlands ;  or 
perhaps  the  foundries  and  smelters  of  twentieth-century  "civiliza- 
tion" were  rolling  their  peso-laden  incense  in  voluminous  wreaths 
around  the  skyline?  Our  guess  was  wretchedly  bad,  for  as  we 
drilled  around  a  tortuous  bend  there  came  to  view  an  aerial  furnace 
in  working  order — Colima,  the  only  active  volcano  in  North  America 
— 'pitching  its  scorching  lava  thousands  of  feet  into  the  reaches 
of  space. 


■illllllllillllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllillllllllllllllSlilllH^ 


,ii.h iniiiin i i i iiiii mil iiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiii mi ■ mi inn I" tunraiiirayi iiiiiiM Bniiiniiii»iiiiiiii»i| 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       2; 

iiniiiiiimii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii in miHiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiii nil iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniuiiiii luiimiiiinummttmii nun iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii 1 milium 11 »ij 


We  are  in  Guadalajara,  once  the  most  beautiful  city  of  Mexico, 
but  now  laid  low  by  subterrestrial  outbursts.  So  let  us  pause  and 
survey  this  venerable  land,  so  enchanting  of  vista  and  affluent 
beyond  computation  in  the  gifts  of  Nature,  whose  geographical 
boundaries,  geological  vaults  and  social  activities  dwarf  to  medi- 
ocrity many  nations  of  premier  rank;  this  land  whose  chronology 
was  old  ere  Phoenician  or  Corinthian  displayed  his  superiority  upon 
the  raging  main,  before  Homer  sang  or  dauntless  Hannibal  had  cast 
his  outposts  beyond  the  towering  Alps ;  this  embryonic  giant  among 
the  races  that  are  to  come,  and  as  familiar  to  many  of  our  country- 
men as  the  bazaars  of  old  Kabul  or  the  fjords  of  fast-flowing 
Magellan — the  ancient  and  modern  land  of  Mexico. 

ANCIENT  HISTORY. 

We  have  alluded  to  Mexico  as  a  land  of  antiquity,  and  it  would 
be  well  to  have  a  short  resume  of  its  history  prior  to  the  arrival 
of  Cortes  at  Vera  Cruz  on  April  21,  1519.    Historians  assert  that 
the  Toltecs  were  descendants  of  an  Asiatic  tribe  that  came  to  the 
New  World  across  the  Pacific  or  via  Bering  Strait.    In  the  eighth 
century  they  invaded  the  Mexican  Valley  and  established  the  capital 
of  Tula.    Their  superior  mentality  is  shown  by  the  ruins  of  buildings 
still  extant.     As  with  other  races  in  other  lands,  the  Toltecs  four 
centuries  later  made  way  for  a  newer  clan,  the  Chichemecs,  who  were 
far  below  mediocrity  in  comparison  with  their  predecessors.    Their 
reign  was  brief.     Then  came  the  Aztecs  at  the  end  of  the  twelfth 
century  and  erected  their  capital  upon    the    site  of    the  present 
metropolis,  naming  it  in  honor  of  Mexitli,  their  god  of  war.    They 
were  an  energetic  and  intelligent  people,  as  is  illustrated  by  nu- 
merous   temples    remaining    in  the   neighborhood   of   the   Valley, 
and  evidenced  their  prowess  as   warriors   by   subjugating  various 
tribes  of  aborigines   inhabiting  adjacent  territory.     When   Cortes 
cast  anchor   their   rule  extended   from   Atlantic  to   Pacific.     Self- 
abnegation  was  not  the  errand  of  the  Spaniards,  for  the  armada 
had  been  fitted  out  by  Charles  V.   at   the  expenditure  of  many 
ducats,  and  of  course  the  tonnage  of  the  tiny  frigates  was  not 
calculated    to    reduce   to  a  minimum   those   distressing  symptoms 
the  French  call  tnal  de  mcr;  indeed,  it  has  been  chronicled  that 
the  commodore  captain  of  the  fleet  was  far  from  sanguinary  as  to 
his  ability  to  keep  afloat  until  terra  firma  loomed  to  view.    Moreover, 
the  Castilians,  then  the  premier  merchants  of  the  world,  thought 
the   natives    should   offer    something   more   substantial   than   kind 


IIIIIII Ill ■ililliUlllllllllllli lllliHUIIIHI IDIIIIH IIIIII9IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII1III1IIIIIIIIIIIIHII i!!l«!ll»!illlllllllllllllli!!l!»lll«ll»IH IIS 


lilllliiilililiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!i::!iiiii!i!iiiiiiiiiliiliii!ii!:iiiinii 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 


a 


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« Illllllllli Illlllllllllill Illlllllllllllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllltlllllllllltttlll Illlllllllllllllllllllllllll Illlllllllilll 


p!!IIII!l!!lllll!!!!nilll!!l!!ll!li!!lll!!!!!i«ll!!l!i!l!!i 

|  /       FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        26- 

5pi;i:- !:!::r ■.■ :v  . : t: ■■  ■ :  ■. ;■ .:-. ! m:: - .  ■ iim ■ - :  ■  .■ 1 ':;-;iii!!iiiiiiiiii!iii!::::,::!:': '::;ijijiin ii^'iii-Miim^iiiiiiiiniJii^: niiiiiiiiiii-^iiitiiniiiii 


words  for  the  privilege  of  being  enlightened  by  the  most  polished 
members  of  civilized  society.  Again,  Cortes  and  his  army  of  six 
hundred  explorers  spent  many  weary  days  and  nights  marching 
up  and  around  the  zigzag  trail  that  led  to  the  habitat  of  Montezuma, 
the  King  of  the  Aztec  nation.  All  these  things  were  weighty  in 
influencing  the  foreigners  to  make  demands  for  at  least  a  province 
over  which  should  float  the  banner  of  the  King  who  ruled  in  old 
Madrid.  Montezuma  was  not  conciliatory,  and  the  conflict  began 
in  earnest,  resulting  in  the  permanent  predominance  of  the  language 
and  laws  of  Spain.  It  should  be  remembered,  however,  that  the 
invaders  were  equipped  with  modern  weapons  of  war,  while  the 
Aztecs  used  the  cruder  implements  of  less  "civilized"  strategists ; 
it  will  also  be  recalled  the  stubborn  resistance  offered  to  the  Span- 
iards, especially  at  the  siege  of  the  capital,  was  of  a  nature  to  make 
the  explorers  sincerely  regret  having  left  their  comfortable  homes 
to  seek  the  goods  and  chattels  of  their  foreign  friends. 

Moving  pictures,  joy  rides  and  harem  skirts  had  made  but  slight 
progress  in  the  good  old  days,  and  the  period  through  which  we 
have  just  passed  was  by  no  means  fraught  with  the  many  dangers 
to  the  young  as  now  confront  our  present  great  "intellectual"  and 
industrial  attainments.  So  we  take  pleasure  in  reproducing  an 
Aztec  mother's  advice  to  her  daughter,  translated  from  Sahagun's 
"History  of  New  Spain."    It  is  as  follows: 

THE  AZTEC  MOTHER'S  ADVICE. 

"My  beloved  daughter,  you  have  already  heard  and  attended  to 
the  words  which  your  father  has  told  you.  They  are  precious 
words,  and  such  as  are  rarely  spoken  or  listened  to,  and  which  have 
proceeded  from  the  bowels  and  heart,  in  which  they  were  treasured 
up;  and  your  beloved  father  well  knows  that  you  are  his  daughter, 
and  God  knows  that  it  is  so.  What  more  can  you  hear  than  what 
you  have  heard  from  your  lord  and  father?  Nevertheless,  I  will 
say  to  you  some  few  words.  Remember  that  nine  months  I  bore 
you  in  my  womb,  that  you  were  born  and  brought  up  in  my  arms. 
This  I  tell  you  in  order  that  you  may  know  that  I  and  your  father 
are  the  source  of  your  being;  it  is  we  who  now  instruct  you.  Take 
care  that  your  garments  are  such  as  are  decent  and  proper,  and 
observe  that  you  do  not  adorn  yourself  with  much  finery,  since 
this  is  a  mark  of  vanity  and  of  folly.  As  little  becoming  is  it 
that  your  dress  shall  be  very  mean,  dirty  or  ragged.  Let  your 
clothes  be  becoming  and  neat,  that  you  may  neither  appear  fantastic 


IIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIUII1III! |![[!»!i|||illl|lll!!!ll!lll!l!!!!!iil!!ll!l!ill!il!!i!!!!!l!!I[||liiliy 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       27  § 

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuniiii mil iiiiinuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii  iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii  i»f 


nor  mean.  Do  not  raise  your  voice  very  high,  nor  speak  very 
low,  but  in  a  moderate  tone.  And  when  you  may  be  obliged  to 
jump  over  a  pool  of  water,  do  it  with  decency,  that  you  may 
appear  neither  clumsy  nor  light. 

"Walk  through  the  street  quietly  and  with  propriety.  See  like- 
wise, my  daughter,  that  you  never  paint  your  face  or  stain  it  or 
your  lips  with  colors,  in  order  to  appear  well,  since  this  is  a  mark 
of  vile  and  unchaste  women.  But,  that  your  husband  may  not 
dislike  you,  adorn  yourself,  wash  yourself  and  cleanse  your  clothes, 
and  let  this  be  done  with  moderation.  Those  noble  and  venerable 
dames,  your  grandmothers,  told  us  not  so  many  things  as  I  have 
told  you — they  said  but  few  words,  and  spoke  thus :  'Listen,  my 
daughters ;  in  this  world  it  is  necessary  to  live  with  much  prudence 
and  circumspection.  Hear  this  allegory,  which  I  shall  now  tell 
you  and  preserve  it,  and  take  from  it  a  warning  and  example  for 
living  aright.  Here  in  this  world  we  travel  by  a  very  narrow, 
steep  and  dangerous  road,  which  is  as  a  lofty  mountain  ridge,  on 
whose  top  passes  a  narrow  path;  on  either  side  is  a  great  gulf 
without  bottom,  and  if  you  deviate  from  the  path  you  will  fall  into 
it.  There  is  need,  therefore,  of  much  discretion  in  pursuing  the 
road.'  Only  one  thing  remains  to  be  said,  and  I  have  done.  If 
God  shall  give  you  life,  see  that  you  guard  yourself  carefully,  that 
no  stain  comes  upon  you.  When  it  shall  please  God  that  you  receive 
a  husband,  and  you  are  placed  under  his  authority,  be  free  from 
arrogance,  see  that  you  are  not  disrespectful  to  him.  Beware  that 
in  no  time  or  place  you  commit  the  treason  against  him  called 
infidelity.  And  remember,  my  daughter,  that  though  no  man  shall 
see  you,  nor  your  husband  ever  know  what  happens,  God,  who  is 
in  every  place,  sees  you,  will  be  angry  with  you  and  will  also  excite 
the  indignation  of  the  people  against  you,  and  will  be  avenged 
upon  you  as  He  shall  see  fit.  My  dear  daughter,  see  that  you  live 
in  the  world  in  peace,  tranquillity  and  contentment  all  the  days  that 
you  shall  live." 

Is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  a  race  so  filled  with  Christian  phil- 
osophy have  survived  the  onward  march  of  civilization? 

MILDNESS  OF  THE  CLIMATE. 

Mexico  is  the  land  of  wonders,  but  none  surpasses  its  climatic 
conditions.  Along  the  coast  belt  the  sun  beats  down  with  tropical 
intensity,  thirty  miles  inland  the  mercury  descends,  up  and  beyond 
this  point  the  temperate  zone  is  reached.     Foothills  of  the  Sierra 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS  | 

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiin 


Qftje  Catfjebral  $la?a,  ffltxito  Citp 

The   American-made   electric   cars   arrive   at   and   depart   from   the 
Plaza,  in  the  heart  of  the  city.    Car  service  is  good. 


ll!l!l!llll!!!l!lll!ll!llll!l!il[||inillllll]IIIII!l![HIIIIII!!l!!lill!!lll[lllllW^  1:11111 ill»illl!llllllllilllllilllilia 


plllllllllllllllllllillllllllillillllillil 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       28 

llilllllllllllllllllllllllllllliilillllllllllllllllilllllilllia 


Madre  Mountains  rise  abruptly  near  the  plateau  upon  which  rests 
so  much  of  the  Republic.  Metropolitan  gauges  have  registered 
an  average  of  sixty-two  degrees  during  August  for  twenty  years, 
due,  of  course,  to  the  altitude,  the  capital  being  7,400  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  In  1873  the  total  length  of  railroad  track  was 
335  miles;  to-day  upward  of  16,000  traverse  every  State  and  cut 
the  time  of  communication  to  hours  where  a  generation  ago  weeks 
were  required  to  cover  the  same  journey.  There  is  no  country  in 
the  world  where  railroading  has  demanded  more  patience,  labor 
and  ingenuity  than  we  find  displayed  on  the  various  mountain  lines 
of  Mexico.  Double  locomotives  of  the  most  powerful  type  are 
largely  used,  owing  to  steepness  of  the  grade.  Nor  does  the  scenery 
along  any  route  surpass  the  magnificent  views  presented  to  the 
traveler  making  his  way  from  Manzanillo  up  and  across  the  altitu- 
dinous  peaks  that  rear  their  hoary  heads  two  and  three  miles  above 
the  gorges  and  valleys  below.  The  most  eloquent  tongue,  the  most 
facile  pen,  the  most  artistic  brush  would  fail  to  picture  the  thousand 
vistas  of  enthralling  grandeur  presented  to  the  enchanted  beholder 
along  the  eastern  and  western  slopes  of  the  great  Cordilleras. 

Pike's  Peak,  in  Colorado,  is  an  eminence  of  conspicuity,  being 
14,108  feet  above  the  earth,  and  the  same  is  true  of  Mont  Blanc, 
the  Alpine  king,  15,781  feet  amidst  the  clouds;  but  neither  of  these 
monarchs  attains  the  dignity  of  the  famous  "White  Lady  of  Mexico" 
— Ixtaccihuatl — whose  silver  diadem  graces  her  queenly  brow  at 
an  elevation  of  17,500  feet. 

The  Tropic  of  Cancer,  400  miles  south  of  the  Texas  border, 
is  crossed  at  Catorce,  the  northern  parallel  of  latitude  being  indi- 
cated by  a  monument  near  the  railroad.  The  line  denoting  the 
tropical  zone  flashes  around  this  terrestrial  globe  just  north  of  the 
Philippines,  Canton,  China,  and  Calcutta,  India,  thence  crosses  the 
Red  Sea  and  the  barren  wastes  of  Sahara,  all  of  which  are  justly 
celebrated  for  their  torrid  climate.  The  traveler,  however,  feels 
no  discomfort  here,  for  Catorce  is  fanned  by  the  buoyant  winds  that 
waft  their  way  through  the  illimitable  void  of  heaven  6,200  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  earth. 

How  often  we  forget  all  time,  when  lone 
Admiring  Nature's  universal  throne; 
Her  zvoods — her  zvilds — her  mountains — the   intense 
Reply  to  hers  to  our  intelligence! 

— Byron. 


p!l!l!lllllllllilll!l!li!!l!lll!l!l!l!l!l!lilll 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS        29 

Iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ 


THE  CITY  OF  MEXICO. 

Mexico  City,  the  handsome  and  substantial  capital  of  the  Re- 
public, with  a  population  of  550,000,  was  founded  by  the  Aztecs 
in  1325,  and  probably  contained  a  hundred  thousand  souls  before  Co- 
lumbus saw  the  light  of  day.  The  streets  are  of  good  width,  well 
cleaned  and  lighted.  At  night  the  policemen  stand  with  lanterns 
at  the  intersections  of  the  various  thoroughfares,  and  it  is  said 
that  should  a  person  in  need  of  an  illuminant  carry  off  the  light 
the  officer  is  fined  five  dollars,  while  an  unsuccessful  pilferer  is 
levied  on  for  an  equal  tribute.  Modern  business  structures  are 
quite  numerous,  and  several  approach  the  dignity  of  skyscrapers, 
although  ten  stories  is  the  limit  prescribed  by  the  local  law.  The 
General  Post  Office  is  of  imposing  appearance,  and  the  National 
Opera  House,  now  nearing  completion,  representing  an  investment 
of  $5,000,000,  will  rank  with  the  grandest  in  the  world.  It  exem- 
plifies the  native  love  of  the  musical. 

The  National  Museum  is  worth  traveling  far  to  visit,  for  herein 
are  to  be  found  parchments  of  great  age  and  interest.  The  coach 
of  state  used  by  the  ill-fated  Maximilian  is  a  prominent  relic  of 
empire  days.  But  by  far  the  most  interesting  and  instructive  object 
is  the  famous  Aztec  Calendar  Stone.  This  peculiar  work  of  the 
sculptor's  art  was  used  by  the  race  of  other  days  to  determine  the 
various  seasons  of  the  year.  It  also  suggests  that  mathematics 
and  astronomy  were  not  unknown  sciences.  The  Stone,  which  is 
ten  feet  tall  and  six  feet  wide,  was  formerly  lodged  in  the  wall 
of  the  Cathedral,  to  be  later  removed  to  its  present  home.  The 
National  Art  Gallery  has  an  international  reputation  for  its  vast 
collection  of  paintings,  and  the  native  artists  have  good  reason 
to  be  proud  of  their  labors,  as  their  pictures  in  many  cases  will 
stand  comparison  with  those  of  world-wide  prominence.  The 
National  Palace,  containing  various  offices  of  the  Government, 
is  a  long,  low  structure.  On  its  facade  hangs  the  "Bell  of  Dolores," 
which  first  rang  out  its  paeans  of  independence  in  1810,  when 
Father  Hidalgo  marched  forth  to  free  his  beloved  Mexico  from 
the  bonds  of  European  sovereignty.  The  Conservatory  of  Music 
has  graduated  a  larger  number  of  pupils  during  its  existence  of 
a  century  than  any  similar  institution  on  this  continent.  Twelve 
great  schools  of  the  Federal  District  comprise  law,  medicine,  engi- 
neering, architecture  and  commerce,  besides  a  school  devoted  ex- 
clusively to  the  fine  arts.   The  homes  of  these  societies  are  generally 


siinniiiiiiiiiiiiiiM 


pillllllllllllllllllllllIllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllilllllllM 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       30 

ll!U!llllll!llll!!!illllii!i:i!lli!!lllll!i!li!l^ 


handsome  and  substantial  structures,  equipped  with  every  modern 
improvement.  The  capital  also  boasts  the  oldest  college  in  North 
America — the  Colegio  San  Juan  de  Letras,  which  was  opened  by 
Jesuit  instructors  in  1530. 

Several  of  the  beautiful  drives  around  the  city  are  lined  for  miles 
with  stately  trees  and  shrubbery.  Carriages  are  numerous,  a  re- 
spectable twc-horse  vehicle  being  obtainable  at  one  dollar  per  hour 
for  three  persons.  The  celebrated  Castle  of  Chapultepec,  the  White 
House  of  Mexico,  reposing  on  a  hill  in  the  outskirts,  in  the  earlier 
centuries  was  the  home  of  Montezuma  and  later  that  of  the  various 
Viceroys  dispatched  by  the  King  of  Spain  to  rule  his  empire  beyond 
the  seas.  The  great  Cathedral,  standing  on  the  site  of  the  ancient 
Aztec  Temple,  is  the  grandest  edifice  of  the  Western  Hemisphere. 
Begun  in  1573,  a  century  was  consumed  in  its  construction.  It  is 
425  feet  wide,  200  feet  deep  and  cost,  including  the  beautiful  fur- 
nishings, $5,000,000  gold;  the  chancel  rail  is  of  solid  silver  and 
many  of  the  paintings  and  statuary  are  priceless.  The  organ  in 
this  vast  basilica  is  as  tall  as  a  three-story  house  and  almost  as 
large.  Here  on  Sundays  and  feast  days  may  be  seen  representatives 
of  every  degree  of  human  society.  Side  by  side  on  the  bare  stones 
of  this  gorgeous  tabernacle  (for  pews  are  not  in  general  use  in 
Mexico),  the  grandee  of  New  Granada,  the  ragged  peon,  the  grace- 
ful daughter  of  old  Castile  and  the  humble  pancake  woman 
are  found  in  great  abundance.  Adherents  of  the  Catholic  creed  pre- 
dominate, but  Baptist,  Episcopal,  Jewish,  Presbyterian  and  other 
churches  of  prominence  are  to  be  found  in  various  sections  of  the 
city.  Two  daily  newspapers  furnish  current  news  for  twenty  thou- 
sand American  and  British  residents. 

BEAUTIES  OF  CUERNAVACA. 

The  railway  route  leading  to  historic  Cuernavaca  (5,000  feet) 
is  one  gigantic  zigzag,  and  the  throbbing  locomotives  must 
serpentine  up  and  around  the  precipitous  crags  that  lead  to  La 
Cima,  two  miles  above  the  undulating  breakers  of  the  Oriental 
seas.  American  "specials"  have  been  known  to  annihilate  seventy- 
five  miles  of  space  in  the  course  of  an  hour's  run,  but  here  two 
powerful  engines,  belching  like  maddened  demons,  require  about 
five  hours  to  cover  the  same  distance  between  the  termini  of  the 
division.  At  times  the  groaning  train  crawls  along  like  a  tortoise 
as  it  skirts  the  sides  of  the  imperious  giants  that  reign  in  august 
serenity  far  beyond  the  hills  and  vales,  canons  and  hamlets  in  the 


llllllllilli 


IN minimum: iiiiiiiiiniiimi mini mmmmi mimiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiimiiiiiniiiiiiii liiiuiuiuuiiiii! iiiumiiiii iiiiimiiiiiiiiii umiiuuimuimimi: uiiiimunuiiniuuiininuuiii iiiiuumuiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii| 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       31  | 

Innimuuuiiuiiinuuinimiuiuiuumimmii liiiiiuimniunuuumiiiiiiiuuiuiiiinimmniuuiuiuiiiuniiitmiuuuuuuiuuiiu iimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimmimm 


dizzy  depths  below.  The  descent  is  made  at  lively  speed  in  the 
shadow  of  Ajusco  (13,000  feet),  which  forms  the  culminating 
point  of  the  mountain  ridge.  On  and  on  through  fields  of  sugar 
cane  and  rolling  hills  we  twist  and  curve  until  to  the  south  of  us 
a  myriad  of  domes  and  steeples  proclaim  the  vicinity  of  an  ideal 
spot  wherein  to  while  away  the  vacation  hours  at  our  disposal — 
Cuernavaca — summer  home  of  the  elite  and  favorite  rendezvous 
of  Cortes  and  Maximilian.  Elegant  mansions  abound  on  every  side, 
also  handsome  boulevards  and  drives,  and  it  is  quite  an  agreeable 
sight  to  view  the  grand  sefiora  and  petite  senorita  taking  their 
afternoon  spin  behind  a  pair  of  prancing  bays  that  step  along  with 
all  the  hauteur  befitting  high-born  members  of  the  equine  family. 

Aguas  Calientes  (hot  waters),  a  manufacturing  town  of  40,000 
inhabitants,  is  noted  for  the  beauty  and  variety  of  its  "drawn  work." 
This  embroidery  is  all  wrought  by  the  skillful  hands  of  Indian 
peasants.  It  is  safe  to  say  the  famous  needlewomen  of  Paris  cannot 
surpass  the  artistic  productions  of  these  humble  peons  of  Mexico. 

Almost  everything  known  to  man  is  grown  in  different  sections 
of  the  country,  including  cotton,  oranges,  rice,  wheat  and  hemp. 
Industrially  the  nation  has  made  great  strides  within  recent  years, 
factories  and  foundries  being  numerous  in  the  various  States.  There 
is  scarcely  a  mineral  known  to  the  geologist  that  does  not  find 
lodgment  beneath  the  surface  of  this  favored  land.  For  350  years 
mining  has  been  adding  millions  upon  millions  to  the  national  wealth. 
Fabulous  fortunes  have  been  dug  from  the  centre  of  the  earth,  and 
will  so  continue  for  generations  to  come,  as  Mexico  is  honeycombed 
with  gold,  silver,  copper,  coal  and  other  deposits. 

While  it  is  not  the  writer's  purpose  to  enter  upon  an  arraignment 
of  the  laws  of  Mexico,  thinking  men  must  recognize  the  inadvisability 
of  allowing  a  chosen  few  to  own  vast  stretches  of  farming  lands. 
Enormous  haciendas  should  be  dissolved  by  national  legislation 
and  divided  into  ranches  of  twenty-five  or  fifty  acres.  This  would 
result  in  keeping  down  much  of  the  rebellious  spirit  periodically 
displayed  by  the  peasantry,  and  it  should  also  bring  in  a  desirable 
immigration  from  overcrowded  Europe.  Latitude  gives  only  a  rude 
indication  of  climate.    A  factor  of  much  importance  is  altitude. 


iiuiiiiiiiiiimmiiiinniiiiiiimiiiiiimuuiiiuiiniiiiiiiiimiiiiiiu 


pilllllllIIIUKlii  "HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIilflllllilllll!l!lllll!JillM 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       32 

I .....  1 1111       (11111111111111M 


3n  iHttla'S  Ancient  Cntpire 

From  1522  begins  the  era  of  modern  Mexico,  so  we  shall  proceed 
to  view  a  province  of  the  earth  by  no  means  modern — a  prov- 
ince where  civilization  prevailed  ere  Tubal  Cain  had  spanned  the 
Hellespont.  Being  far  to  the  south  of  the  capital,  two  days  are  re- 
quired to  reach  the  goal.  The  traveler  leaves  the  train  at  Oaxaca 
and  devotes  several  hours  to  this  venerable  community.  Oaxaca 
is  celebrated  for  two  reasons — it  was  established  six  years  before 
the  intrepid  Genoese  pointed  the  prows  of  his  little  caravels  to 
breast  the  waters  of  the  Western  seas  and  it  is  the  birthplace  of 
two  well-known  Dictators,  Juarez  and  Diaz,  both  of  whom  were 
of  Indian  blood.  Climatic  conditions  are  most  agreeable — neither 
hot  nor  cold — and  although  it  is  said  to  contain  35,000  inhabitants, 
there  is  no  superior  on  the  map  for  the  subjugation  of  abnormal 
nerve  tension.  Dark-skinned,  steeple-hatted  gentry  amble  along  the 
yard-wide  sidewalks  as  placidly  as  employees  of  a  Socialistic  navy 
yard.  An  obsolete  mule  car  jogs  through  the  main  thoroughfare 
at  a  most  apathetic  pace;  in  fact,  everything  is  apathetic  in  this 
centre  of  antiquity. 

We  made  specific  inquiries  regarding  the  avocations  of  the  popu- 
lace, inasmuch  as  one  and  all  appeared  to  have  naught  to  do  but 
inhale  the  noxious  weed  and  loiter  around  the  avenidas.  No  one 
seemed  anxious  to  divulge  their  neighbor's  private  affairs,  so  we 
are  still  sighing  to  learn  how  they  contrive  to  eat,  drink  and  make 
merry,  with  no  thought  of  futurity.  The  introduction  of  up-to-date 
American  boiler  foundries,  with  the  usual  time  clock,  might  assist 
in  instilling  into  the  minds  of  these  heathen  Oaxacans  a  proper 
desire  to  engage  in  the  civilized  art  of  work,  although  they  would 
probably  engage  in  philosophical  controversy  to  prove  the  error 
of  such  egregious  deductions.  Strenuous  Yankees  suffering  from 
the  excruciating  pangs  of  dollaritis  will  find  nothing  to  perturb 
their  equanimity  along  the  highways  and  byways  of  old  Oaxaca. 

A  pleasant  drive  of  twenty-five  miles  and  the  antiquary  has 
bridged  the  abyss  that  reaches  to  the  far-distant  past — ere  Romulus 
laid  the  foundations  of  Eternal  Rome  or  Sabaen  reached  the  zenith 
of  his  fame — to  the  scene  of  empire  now  shrouded  by  the  veil 
that  obscures  and  darkens  the  history  of  a  race  whose  handicraft 
gives  pronouncement  to  genius  and  energy  of  no  mean  order — 
the  Empire  of  Mitla! 

The  most  imposing  monument  is  a  long,  massive  building  thought 
to  have  been  the  principal  hall  of  legislation.    The  front  is  perhaps 


llllllllllllllll 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       33  | 

1 minimi iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!! iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 1111 fflimiiiiii iiiiinii urn 111111111 ■»«■ 1 ■luiuiiiniiin iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiin 1 nil 11111111111111 | 


250  feet  wide,  but  its  height  is  not  above  that  of  a  two-story  house. 
The  fagade  is  highly  ornamented  with  figure  and  scroll  work,  that 
has  successfully  weathered  the  floods  and  storms  of  many  cen- 
turies. The  Hall  of  Mosaics  calls  forth  the  plaudits  of  the  most 
cynical  skeptic,  for  here  are  found  countless  thousands  of  ex- 
quisitely carved  blocks  that,  unless  closely  inspected,  give  the 
appearance  of  being  hewn  from  a  single  stone  of  titanic  size.  The 
walls  are  about  six  feet  thick,  while  the  hall  itself  is  only  twelve 
feet  wide.  The  Hall  of  Monoliths  is  30  feet  in  width  and  100 
feet  in  length,  the  walls  being  of  usual  size.  In  the  centre  stand 
a  half-dozen  columns  fifteen  feet  in  height  and  ten  feet  in  circum- 
ference. The  pillars  undoubtedly  acted  as  supports  for  beams  that 
reached  from  wall  to  wall.  Another  interesting  relic  appears  to 
have  been  a  sarcophagus  or  mausoleum  for  the  interment  of  im- 
portant men.  Its  solid  masonry  is  in  a  fine  state  of  preservation. 
There  are  many  ruins  of  platforms  and  walls  scattered  throughout 
this  weird  world  of  the  eons  that  translate  us  to  the  enchanted 
age  of  fable. 

We  gazed  as  one  stupefied  at  the  prospect  our  baffled  mind  failed 
to  unravel.  Whence  came  these  people  no  archaeologist  attempts 
to  define.  Whither  they  departed  is  a  problem  as  dark  as  the 
fathomless  depths  of  the  seven  seas.  They  themselves  have  per- 
ished from  the  face  of  the  earth,  but  the  solidity  of  their  noble 
architecture  gives  irrefutable  proof  of  intellectual  superiority  even 
above  many  civilized  nations  of  our  own  enlightened  age. 

Type  of  the  antique  Rome!  Rich  reliquary 
Of  lofty  contemplation  let  to  Time 
By  buried  centuries  of  pomp  and  power! 
At  length — at  length — after  so  many  days 
Of  weary  pilgrimage  and  burning  thirst, 
{Thirst  for  the  springs  of  love  that  in  thee  lie,) 
I  kneel,  an.  altered  and  an  humble  man, 
Amid  thy  shadows,  and  so  drink  within 
My  very  soul  thy  grandeur,  gloom  and  glory  \ 

"The  Coliseum." 

SOCIAL  CONDITIONS. 

Many  quaint  and  curious  tales  have  come  up  from  the  Spanish 
Main,  but  none  more  quaint  and  curious  than  those  relating  to  the 
customs  prevailing  some  years  ago  on  the  various  railway  lines 
of  our  sister  Republic.  Owing  to  the  paucity  of  population  in 
different  sections,  ticket  agents  are  not  employed  at  the  numerous 
hamlets  on  the  ferrocarriles  (railroads) ;  the  traveler  therefore 
secures  his  ticket  aboard  the  train.     Conductors  formerly  acted  as 


Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiini 111 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiniii nun iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiniii 1111111111111 niiii 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 


Cfje  Senate  ptttDring  of  3iutrnt  fHttla 

Writers  versed  in  the  history  of  Mitla  state  that  this  magnificent 
structure  was  the  hall  of  legislation. 


- 


II! |||||||i|||||||||i|[||||l!!illll!;!l!l||||||||||!lll!!lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll^  Illllllllll IIIIIIIIIIIII lllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllliilHIIIIIIIIIIIilllllllllH^ 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       34  | 

In iiiiiiiiiii  .  -am niiiiiii i 111 1 illinium niiiiHHiinii iiiiniiiiiiiiiiini 1 11111111 1111 iiiiihiiiiiiiiiii 1 ■■ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiib | 


cashiers,  but  such  a  considerable  percentage  of  these  functionaries 
acquired  houses  and  lots  and  other  things  luxurious  so  rapidly  that 
the  first  question  placed  before  an  aspirant  for  a  conductorship 
invariably  was :  "How  many  houses  do  you  possess  ?  Will  it  be 
necessary  for  you  to  require  more  property  in  order  to  uphold 
the  social  status  of  your  family;  or  do  you  merely  wish  employ- 
ment in  order  to  give  full  play  to  your  transcendental  talents  as  a 
developer  of  the  Mexican  railroad  system?  Has  your  wife  the 
full  complement  of  diamonds  and  precious  gems  compatible  with 
the  dignity  of  a  lady  of  exalted  rank?  Have  your  children  ponies, 
automobiles  and  all  accessories  necessary  for  juvenile  comfort  and 
enjoyment  ?"  If  these  interrogatories  were  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive, the  applicant  was  assured  a  position  on  the  Main  Line ;  if  not, 
the  application  form  was  generally  consigned  to  the  waste  basket. 
The  reasons  are  found  in  this  tidbit  of  malevolence  aimed  at  the 
integrity  of  the  Yankee  conductor  (for  the  railroads  of  Mexico 
are  generally  manned  by  Americans) :  When  a  passenger  boarded 
a  train  at  a  small  station,  he  paid  his  fare  to  the  conductor.  The 
latter  tossed  the  ducats  towards  the  ceiling.  If  in  their  descent  they 
struck  and  remained  upon  the  bell-rope,  the  coins  were  turned  over 
to  the  company's  exchequer;  but  if  the  pesos  missed  the  cord,  the 
collector  caught  them  and  called  them  his  own.  The  companies 
did  not  think  they  (the  companies)  were  acquiring  the  full  toll, 
and  now  an  auditor  collects  the  fares,  while  the  conductor  attends 
to  the  operation  of  the  train.  It  has  been  stated  that  receipts  have 
almost  doubled  since  the  introduction  of  auditors. 

It  may  be  of  surprising  interest  to  the  untraveled  to  learn  that 
the  tracks  of  one  system,  the  National  Railways,  traverse  upwards 
of  8,000  miles  of  territory.  The  passenger  trains  are  all  of  Ameri- 
can pattern,  and  the  service  is  not  surpassed  on  this  side  of  the 
border.  Each  Pullman  car  has  its  own  buffet,  which  serves  a  la 
carte  meals  at  reasonable  prices.  A  most  excellent  dinner  can  be 
had  at  dining  stations  for  seventy-five  cents  silver  (37^  cents  gold), 
and  everything  is  of  the  best.  A  tip  of  five  centavos  makes  the 
Indian  waiter  bow  like  Chesterfield  before  his  Queen,  while  ten 
centavos  brings  him  to  his  knees  as  he  exclaims :  "Mil  gracias, 
senor!"  for  the  poor  garcon  believes  such  opulence  could  only 
come  from  the  owner  of  a  whole  railroad  system. 


HIIHIillll Hlllllllll illllllll Illllil IIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUII HllllllllliUHIIIIIIII Illllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllll IIIIIIIIIIIM 


' 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       35 


THE  SLIDE  DOWN  "OLD  KING  POPO." 

But  if  the  climb  to  the  apex  of  Cholula  is  of  more  than  passing 
interest,  the  ascent  of  "Old  King  Popo"  is  one  that  is  not  surpassed 
jn  any  mountain  region  of  the  world.  The  tourist  begins  the 
horseback  ride  immediately  after  his  matutinal  repast  and  proceeds 
to  the  Halfway  House  (14,000  feet),  remaining  there  over  night. 
At  daybreak  he  faces  the  snow  line  on  foot,  and  plods  along,  with 
|the  aid  of  a  guide,  until  the  crater  has  been  reached.  Several 
stretches  of  the  trail  are  dangerously  steep,  and  the  agile  Indian 
precedes  the  climber  and  drags  him  up  over  the  snow-covered 
crags  to  safety.  And  now  at  last — at  last — after  many  weary  hours 
of  trepidation  and  tremendous  outpouring  of  energy,  the  haughty 
monarch  of  the  cerulean  realm  has  been  conquered,  and  the  explorer 
swings  his  glass  upon  a  panorama  of  empyrean  splendor  the  pen 
of  Milton  might  pause  to  depict — for  "Old  King  Popo"  rears  his 
dazzling  tiara  three  miles  or  more  beyond  and  above  the  earth 
profane.  To  the  right  stands  the  imperious  "White  Lady  of 
Mexico,"  her  brow  and  breast  glistening  with  myriads  of  kohinoors 
beneath  the  effulgence  of  the  Southern  sun. 

And  in  the  far  and  distant  east,  beyond  the  mountains  and  chasms 
beneath  us,  the  eye  discerns  a  frigid  Titan  whose  immaculate 
splendor  gives  challenge  to  all  the  rulers  of  the  terrestrial  world — 
Orizaba — the  mighty  sentinel  of  the  Eastern  coast.  Another  flash 
of  the  glass,  and  we  begin  the  greatest  slide  known  to  man — down 
to  the  Halfway  House  some  three  thousand  feet  below  [  The  tobog- 
ganist  takes  his  seat  upon  a  mat  formed  of  a  peculiar  native  mat, 
and,  led  by  the  dexterous  Indian,  begins  the  most  exhilarating 
descent  of  any  incline  to  be  found  in  either  hemisphere.  Around 
death-dealing  curves  and  towering  crags  we  rush  in  the  precipitous 
descent ;  now  within  an  inch  of  the  profound  abyss  whose  cavernous 
jaws  gloatingly  yawn  for  human  kind;  fast  and  faster  we  dash 
in  and  around,  up  and  about,  down  and  across  the  rugged  steeps 
of  the  frozen  trail;  now  turning,  twisting  and  zigzagging  in  our 
maddened  flight  along  the  vast  serpentine  declivity  whence  at  every 
rod  stalks  the  king  of  lasting  sleep !  And  now,  fifteen  minutes  later, 
we  are  back  at  the  little  Halfway  cabin — half  dead  after  our  nerve- 
shattering  dash,  but  still  able  to  partake  of  the  ambrosial  refresh- 
ments the  attendants  so  kindly  place  before  us.  Three  thousand 
feet  down  a  snow-covered  mountainside  in  the  space  of  fifteen 
minutes  is  an  exploit  to  be  vividly  recalled  during  our  moments 
of  globe-girdling  retrospection. 


iiimi minim 11111111111 1 mini iiiiiiiiini iiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiini 1 minium iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHifi iiiiiiiiiiiiiniiii iiiimiiiiii 1 iiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiiiliiiii«iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii«) 


FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 


Jfacaoe  of  tfje  #obernor's  -palace,  ©xmal,  gucatan 

Archaeologists    assert    that    the    Governor's    Palace    was    probably 
erected  prior  to  the  Coliseum  in  Rome. 


iyillllillilliliilliiiiiiiniiii:!:i[i]!ii!ii;i;:r:»sn:i!iiiiiiiii»^ 


I 
FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       36 

I  '  1 

I  PICTURESQUE  JALAPA.  | 

jj  If  the  reader's  obsession  for  anteriority  has  not  been  satiated  by 

his  peregrinations  through  the  debris  our  friends  the  ancients  have 

so  kindly  transmitted  to  posterity,  a  few  words  regarding  Jalapa  1 

may  help  to  fill  the  vacuity.    This  habitat  of  the  mountaineer  is  said  J 

to  contain  25,000  souls,  but  it  is  safe  to  wager  that  a  stranger  would 
undoubtedly  be  impelled  to  view  the  census  enumerator  with  a 
degree  of  suspicion,  especially  if  compensated  for  his  labors  at 
so  much  per  capita.  The  clock  that  denotes  the  time  of  day  from 
the  tower  of  stately  El  Calvario  Church  has  maintained  faithful 

watch  over  this  picturesque  habitation  for  nearly  three  hundred  | 

years,  and  is  reputed  to  be  the  oldest  product  of  the  horologist  in 
the  Americas.     It  is  quite  evident  the  Moors  spent  some  years 

in  this  neighborhood,  for  everything  is  quite  Moorish,  not  excepting  |§ 

the  tile-covered  roofs  projecting  far  beyond  the  walls  of  the  houses,  1 

to   frequently  shed  their  burden   of  rain    upon  the    unfortunate  ( 

■  wayfarer  in  the  middle  of  the  circumscribed  lanes  called  avenidas.  1 

The  natives  are  of  a  most  amiable  temperament,  even  taking  a  cir-  1 

cuitous  route  to  allow  the  inanimate  canines  to  enjoy  their  siesta 

jj  in  the  shade  of  the  trees  that  overhang  from  either  side  in  urn-  1 

brella-like  fashion.  The  gardens  of  this  locality  are  famous  for 
the  beauty  and  variety  of  their  flowers.  Roses  and  pansies  of  many 
hues  and  geraniums  five  feet  high  grow  in  wild  profusion  here, 
there  and  everywhere.  Add  to  all  this  a  million  butterflies  of  a 
thousand  species  winging  through  the  fragrant  air,  and  we  behold 
a  fairyland  that  makes  the  strenuous  visitor  from  Northern  climes 
devoutly  regret  his  inability  to  prolong  his  stay  until  the  crack 
of  doom.  The  balconies  attached  to  the  grotesque  little  homes 
bring  to  mind  the  romantic  epoch  when  heartsick  don  stood  in  the 
pale  glow  of  Luna  twanging  those  plaintive  notes  that  thrill  the 
ecstatic  heart  of  seiiorita  and  sharpen  the  wits  of  the  ever-astute 

I  duefia. 

I  THE  TOLLING  OF  THE  BELLS 

I  One   is   almost  inclined   to   think   that   Edgar  Allan   Poe   here 

received  inspiration  to  pen  that  sublime  verse  he  named  The  Bells, 
for  Jalapa  contains  many  churches,  and  from  their  lofty  belfries 
every  half-hour  of  the  day  and  night  the  tintinnabulation  floats 
across  the  town  in  most  discordant  rhythm. 


pllllllllllllllllllliai;  li  u 


i!IIIIIIIIIIIIIII!II!illlllllllllll!il!l Illlll!  llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!l!llllllll!llllll!IH 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       37 

liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiii  ■ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiB^ 


When  the  nocturnal  shades  had  mantled  all  in  darkness  there 
could  be  heard — 

The  tolling  of  the  bells — 

Iron  bells! 
What  a  world  of  solemn  thought  their  monody  compels! 
In  the  silence  of  the  night 
How  we  shiver  with  affright 
At  the  melancholy  menace  of  their  tone! 
For  every  sound  that  floats 
From  the  rust  within  their  throats 
Is  a  groan. 

And  the  people — ah,  the  people — 
They  that  dzvell  up  in  the  steeple, 
All  alone, 
And  who  tolling,  tolling  tolling, 
In  that  muffled  monotone, 
Feel  a  glory  in  so  rolling 

On  the  human  heart  a  stone; 
They  are  neither  man  nor  woman — 
They  are  neither  brute  nor  human — 
They  are  ghouls; 

And  their  king  it  is  who  tolls; 

And  he  rolls,  rolls,  rolls, 

A  pecan  from  the  bells! 
And  his  merry  bosom  swells 

With  the  pecan  of  the  bells! 
And  he  dances  and  he  yells ; 

Keeping  time,  time,  time, 

In  a  sort  of  Runic  rhyme, 
To  the  pecan  of  the  bells! — 
0/  the  bells: 

Keeping  time,  time,  time, 

In  a  sort  of  Runic  rhyme, 
To  the  throbbing  of  the  bells — 
Of  the  bells  bells,  bells — 
To  the  sobbing  of  the  bells; 

In  a  happy  Runic  rhyme 

Keeping,  time,  time,  time, 
As  he  knells,  knells,  knells. 
To  the  rolling  of  the  bells — 

Of  the  bells,  bells,  bells — 

To  the  tolling  of  the  bells, 
Of  the  bells,  bells,  bells,  bells, 
Bells  bells,  bells — 
To  the  moaning  and  the  groaning  of  the  bells! 


llllllvlv  '^IIIIIRUIII 


iiimiHuiiiiiiiiiniiii  | 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       38  | 

urn biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihwii! 111111111  iinnl 


A  CONSERVATIVE  PEOPLE. 

It  is  far  from  our  purpose  to  appear  censorious,  but  two  visits 
to  the  Sierra  Madre  plateau  have  confirmed  the  belief  that  much 
of  the  antagonism  toward  "Americanos"  has  been  engendered  by 
the  supercilious  attitude  of  many  misguided  individuals  who  have 
gone  to  Mexico  for  one  of  two  reasons — either  to  make  money 
quickly  and  make  a  quick  getaway  or  have  made  money  quickly 
and  made  a  quick  getaway.  It  must  not  be  understood,  however, 
that  this  applies  to  all  our  countrymen  now  below  the  Rio  Grande, 
but  it  is  a  lamentable  fact  that  a  considerable  percentage  of  Ameri- 
can adventurers  in  New  Spain  have  given  their  Mexican  acquaint- 
ances to  understand  that  a  fourth-class  Yankee  is  far  superior  to 
a  first-class  "greaser,"  the  facetious  euphemism  usually  applied 
to  the  inoffensive  natives.  The  truth  of  these  words  is  recognized 
and  regretted  by  the  intelligent  American,  who  loathes  his  bom- 
bastic countryman,  for  he  knows  the  Mexicans  to  be  a  kind,  cul- 
tured and  conservative  people,  and  they  (the  Americans)  quite 
naturally  regret  the  social  ostracism  placed  against  them  and  their 
families  because  of  the  ignominious  conduct  of  those  who  have 
left  their  country  for  their  country's  good.  It  should  be  understood 
that  entree  to  a  Mexican  home  may  not  be  had  merely  for  the 
asking.  It  is  possible  to  be  intimately  acquainted  with  a  gentleman 
ior  years  without  ever  being  invited  to  dine  with  his  family. 

THE  QUEERNESS  OF  ORIZABA. 

Tourists  going  from  the  capital  to  \  era  Cruz  find  it  convenient 
and  agreeable  to  break  their  ride  at  Orizaba,  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  towns  under  the  sun.  The  sightseer  now  gets  his  first 
glimpse  of  a  real  Mexican  sombrero,  the  station  swarming  with 
an  army  of  Indians  whose  headgear  in  many  cases  is  a  trifle  larger 
than  the  owner.  It  is  not  hyperbolical  to  say  that  some  of  these 
peculiar  steeples  are  fully  four  feet  tall  and  three  feet  broad,  as 
the  highest  aspiration  percolating  through  a  peon's  mind  is  to  be- 
come possessed  of  a  hat  more  elaborate  in  design  than  his  neighbor's. 
A  diminutive  car,  drawn  by  two  ponies,  conveys  the  passenger 
to  his  hotel,  and  from  time  to  time  the  embryonic  horses  are  urged 
to  greater  animation  by  the  mellifluous  fanfare  blown  by  the  bugler- 
driver.  The  place  is  walled  in  by  a  vast  range  of  mountains, 
the  mightiest  of  them  all  being  cloud-shattering  Orizaba,  who 
soars  his  shimmering  crown  far  and  away  into  the  translucent 
reaches  of  empyrean  space — eighteen  thousand  feet  above  the  level 


iiiiiiiiiuiiiii 1 


lllllll!l!IUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!lll!ll!!llttl!lllllllllllllllllllM 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       39  j 

■lllllllllilllllllllllll  .::::ill!!!!!!!!l!!!!!ll!llIII!ttU!ll!lllllll!ll!lllinH 


of  the  sea.  Even  the  elastic  conscience  of  the  perspicacious  Miinch- 
hausen  might  have  felt  a  slight  qualm  at  branding  Orizaba  as  an 
ultra-progressive  community,  for  everything  bears  a  patriarchal 
aspect.  The  cobblestones  upon  which  the  ox  carts  so  leisurely 
travel  appear  to  have  been  used  to  hold  the  bow  of  the  Santa 
Maria  to  windward  during  her  cruise  across  the  tempestuous  cur- 
rents of  the  Spanish  Main.  Innumerable  houses  are  devoid  of 
glass,  iron  bars  acting  as  a  substitute ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  adobe 
hut  of  every  peon  is  illuminated  by  a  twentieth-century  electric 
light.  The  climate  would  suit  a  pessimist — pleasantly  warm  during 
the  day  and  cool  enough  for  blankets  in  the  hours  of  slumber. 

Puebla  is  altogether  different  from  Orizaba,  being  a  manufac- 
turing centre  of  prominence.  The  Cathedral,  an  enormous  edifice, 
second  only  to  the  great  church  in  the  capital,  is  325  feet  long 
and  100  feet  wide.  There  are  a  full  score  of  bells  in  the  lofty 
tower,  one  of  which  weighs  20,000  pounds.  The  high  altar  cost 
$110,000  and  twenty  years  were  consumed  in  its  erection.  That 
the  100,000  Pueblans  are  deeply  religious  is  attested  by  the  pres- 
ence of  forty-six  large  and  handsome  churches.  From  the  hills 
of  Guadalupe  there  may  be  viewed  a  magnificent  chain  of  mountain 
giants,  among  which  is  easily  discerned  the  ermine  dome  of  colossal 
Popocatepetl  (18,300  feet),  the  aerial  demigod  who  surveys  this 
puny  sphere  from  the  solitudes  on  high.  An  hour's  ride  in  an 
out-of-date  mule  car  brings  the  sightseer  to  the  Pyramid  of  Cho- 
lula,  a  platform  nearly  two  hundred  feet  above  the  ground.  The 
base  is  fully  1,500  feet  long,  or  twice  the  length  of  the  celebrated 
Cheops  of  Egypt.  A  half-hour  is  required  to  ascend  the  winding 
stairway,  and  the  climber  is  well  repaid  for  his  exertions,  for  here 
he  finds  the  Grotto  of  Our  Lady  of  the  Remedies,  where  countless 
thousands  of  the  faithful  yearly  come  to  ask  assistance  in  their 
afflictions.  It  is  commonly  asserted  in  the  vicinity  of  Puebla  that 
miraculous  cures  have  been  effected  through  the  intercession  of 
Nuestra  Senora  de  los  Remedios.  Hundreds  of  crutches  are  fast- 
ened to  the  wall  as  further  corroboration. 


IIIIIHI 'i:iii!llll<llll«l«!llllllll!ilill!!!!i»H:^llllllili!l!lll!l!IIIIM 


ii!l||!!|l!lll!!!l!ll|||ilj|||!!i!||||i;;!i!li:i!B 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       40 

liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuliiiiiiiiiiiiiiii in limn 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiii 1 iiHiiiiiiiiii illinium mm iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 11 1 iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiinf 


Smtbgt  tije  Eutn£  of  gucatan 

It  will  be  recalled  that  Mexico  comprises  767,323  square  miles 
of  territory,  and  its  great  length  makes  it  a  land  of  magnificent 
distances.  Thus  the  traveler  leaving  the  metropolis  for  Merida, 
the  principal  city  of  the  Yucatan  peninsula,  boards  the  early  train 
for  Vera  Cruz,  arriving  at  the  coast  the  same  evening.  The  follow- 
ing morning  he  embarks  for  Progreso,  which  is  reached  two  days 
later.  After  viewing  the  grandeur  of  Mitla,  the  antiquary  is  pre- 
pared to  view  with  complacency  anything  pertaining  to  this  land  of 
the  ancients.  But  the  various  ruins  on  the  peninsula  of  Yucatan 
call  forth  the  wonderment  and  admiration  of  the  most  blase  globe- 
trotter who  knows  every  entrepot  on  the  globe  as  the  skillful  mariner 
knows  his  compass. 

First  of  all,  let  us  read  the  tribute  of  a  great  American  archaeolo- 
gist to  the  genius,  energy  and  scholarship  of  this  prehistoric  race 
whose  heritage  to  posterity  proclaims  them  a  people  of  the  highest 
order  of  civilization. 

"From  this  treasure  house  in  Yucatan,"  he  writes,  "comes  the 
key  to  a  thousand  problems  that  have  vexed  scholars  and  tormented 
theologians,  and  a  knowledge  of  astronomy  and  mathematics  that 
has  dictated  the  chronologies  and  cosmogonies  of  Europe.  These 
people  had  a  regular  calendar ;  they  had  measured  the  earth ;  there 
is  a  strong  presumption  that  they  had  the  mariner's  compass;  they 
were  great  navigators  and  merchants;  they  gave  us  an  alphabet 
from  which  our  own  has  come ;  as  builders  they  surpassed  us ; 
they  preceded  England  as  the  mistress  of  the  seas;  they  made 
our  land  the  granary  of  the  world  while  Egypt  was  savage  and 
the  ancestors  of  our  race  had  neither  clothes,  weapons  nor  habi- 
tations." 

THE  GOVERNOR'S  PALACE 
Our  first  invasion  of  the  interior  was  to  view  the  group  of 
Maya  ruins  of  Uxmal,  now  brought  by  rail  within  comfortable 
traveling  distance  of  Merida.  For  three  hours  the  tourist  speeds 
across  fifty  miles  of  unbroken  fields  of  henequen,  with  Muna  as 
his  destination.  A  horse  is  then  procured  to  cover  the  fifteen  miles 
to  Uxmal.  There  are  five  great  structures  or  groups  of  structures 
here,  which  are  considered  excellent  specimens  of  Maya  architec- 
ture. The  Governor's  Palace  is  a  massive  building,  320  feet,  40 
feet  wide  and  25  feet  high.    That  the  building  was  erected  with  a 


lllllllllIIIIIIIIIII|illlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!llllllllil:IIIIIIIIIW^ IIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIilllllilllililliillllllillllllllilll 


iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiijiiiiiiiiiiiaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim 

FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       41 

liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip 

view  to  stand  the  pressure  of  centuries  is  shown  in  the  size  ot 
the  walls,  which  are  perhaps  ten  feet  thick.    There  are  nine  door- 
I  ways  in  the  front  of  this  long  edifice,  and  the  facade  is  of  rare 

beauty  and  originality.    A  peculiarity  of  the  interior  is  the  narrow- 
ness of  the  rooms,  which  are  limited  by  the  span  of  the  arch,  and  1 
m                                   rarely  exceed  twelve  feet  across.    Some  fine  sculpture  work  is  seen  m 
§j                                   in  and  around  the  Palace,  especially  of  animals  and  serpents. 

(  The    Pyramid    Temple    of   the    Magician   is    a   huge    pyramidal  ( 

1  mound,  240  feet  long,  160  feet  wide  and  80  feet  high.     A  ruined  1 

■  building  surmounts  the  summit,  but  we  failed  to  reach  it  because  B 

|  of  the  steepness  of  the  almost  perpendicular  stairway. 

1  The  Nunnery  Quadrangle  comprises  four  rectangular  structures,  J 

1  all  highly  ornamented  with  heads  of  wild  beasts,  birds  and  serpents.  1 

It  is  thought  that  these  buildings  were  formerly  used  as  communal  ( 

dwellings  for  bodies  of  sacerdotal  orders.  J 

J  The  ruins  at  Chichen-Itza  are   among  the  most  important  on 

1  the  peninsula.     The  Tennis  Court  consists  of  two  parallel  walls,  1 

1  each  275  long,  30  feet  high  and  120  feet  apart.     The  walls  are  of  1 

H  plain   masonry,   and   projecting   from   the   centre  of   each,  at  the  J 

m  height  of  20  feet  from  the  ground,  is  an  immense  ring  of  stone,  ■ 

representing  two  entwined  serpents.     Spanish  archeeologists  assert  1 

that  this  was  a  courtyard  devoted  to  the  playing  of  a  favored  game, 
J  the  object  being  to  cast  the  ball  through  the  ring  fixed  in  the  wall.  J 

J  Another  great  temple,  called  the  Castillo,  and  built  upon  an  immense 

jj  pyramidal  mound  200  feet  high,  is  approached  by  a  grand  stairway  1 

B  of  countless  steps.     At  the  base  are  the  heads  of  two   colossal  1 

1  serpents  in  sculptured  stone.  The  Nunnery,  resting  upon  an  artificial 

I  platform  30  feet  high,  is  about  100  feet  long,  20  feet  wide  and 

I  t8  feet  in  height.     Upon  this  rests  a  smaller  edifice  30  feet  long  I 

I  and  12  feet  in  width. 

I  At  Izamal  the  pyramid  is  one  of  the  most  imposing  of  all  the 

ruins.     It  is  perhaps  60  feet  high  and  at  the  base  is  300   feet 
1  square.     There  are  several  other  ruins  in  Izamal,  and  the  stucco 

1  work  here  is  said  to  be  the  best  the  Maya  artists  ever  produced. 

=  The  cement  workers  were  evidently  expert  at  their  calling,  for  many 

jj§  of  the  designs  are  still  intact  after  the  lapse  of  ages. 

Wandering  about  that  silent  tangle  of  tropical  vegetation  which 
1  covers  every  stately  mass  of  ruins,  or  tramping  through  the  gloomy  | 

§  halls  where  the  only  sound  is  one's  footfall,  or  the  echo  of  it,  a 

jj  feeling  of  awe  and  mystery  steals  over  the  visitor.     To  this  is 


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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS 
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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       42 

niililil 


added  wonder  and  admiration  for  the  people  and  especially  for 
the  architect  who  raised  on  high  these  lofty  structures.  Students 
of  the  place  assured  us  that  these  massive  piles  can  be  none  other 
than  evolutions  of  the  genius  of  some  great  mind,  as  their  architect 
worked  out  the  plan  for  them  to  the  minutest  detail.  We  were 
further  assured  there  must  have  been  working  drawings  made  of 
these  buildings  long  before  their  construction  was  started,  drawings 
in  which  the  ground  plan,  elevation  and  constructive  design  were 
fully  worked  out  and  the  placing  of  doorways,  mouldings  and  all 
details  of  sculpturing  fully  decided  upon. 

Vastness!  and  Age!  and  Memories  of  Eld! 
Silence!  and  Desolation!  and  dim  Night! 
I  feel  ye  now — /  feel  ye  in  your  strength — 
0  spells  more  sure  than  e'er  ludean  king 
Taught  in  the  gardens  of  Gethsemane! 
0  charms  more  potent  than  the  rapt  Chaldce 
Ever  drew  down  from  out  the  quiet  stars! 
Here  where  on  golden  throne  the  monarch  lolled. 
Glides,  spectre-like,  unto  his  marble  home, 
Lit  by  the  wan  light  of  the  horned  moon. 
The  swift  and  silent  lizard  of  the  stones! 

— The  Coliseum. 

THE  WALLS  OF  CAMPECHE. 

Campeche  lies  one  hundred  miles  to  the  west,  and  the  ride  through 
vast  stretches  of  henequen  fields  is  so  monotonous  that  the  tourist 
feels  chagrined  at  having  been  cajoled  into  taking  the  tiresome  trip. 
But  the  feeling  of  irritation  fades  away  like  mist  before  the  sun 
when  the  solid  battlements  surrounding  the  city  are  beheld  by  the 
stranger  from  fields  afar.  These  enormous  stone  walls  repelled 
many  an  invader  during  the  troublous  days  of  yore,  and  there  is 
not  the  slightest  doubt  that  Campeche  was  more  thoroughly  walled 
in  than  ancient  Jerusalem  every  thought  of  being.  Flanking  towers, 
loopholes  and  mounds  of  rock  foundation  eloquently  attest  the  de- 
termination of  the  early  inhabitants  to  defend  their  possessions. 
The  Spaniards  were  treated  with  regal  honors  upon  their  arrival; 
but  they  looked  with  avaricious  eyes  upon  their  neighbors'  chattels, 
and  this  naturally  provoked  hostilities  of  a  wicked  nature.  To-day 
the  people  are  far  from  warlike,  and  the  care-free  appearance  of 
the  inhabitants  tempts  one  to  strongly  believe  he  has  landed  in  some 


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FIVE  THOUSAND  MILES  AROUND  THE  SOUTHERN  CROSS       43 


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mythical  city  of  leisure.  The  very  quietude  and  lack  of  movement 
attract  the  visitor,  and  he  unconsciously  imbibes  the  restfulness 
of  the  people  as  he  contentedly  wanders  about  the  twisting  streets 
or  rides  in  the  antique  mule  cars  that  were  loyally  doing  their  duty 
generations  ere  the  aerogram  flashed  across  the  Stream  whose  waters 
nourish  the  nations  of  the  frigid  zone. 


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